URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

[Guest jim]

I am an employee of a small company that has an HP Proliant ml350

Windows 2003 Standard server that is about 4 years old and has drives

about to fail.

 

I have been tasked with moving the server to new hardware, but I am new

to server management in general. (They understand this, but are still

confident in my ability to get this done without bringing the company to

a grinding halt.)

 

As I am not exactly an experienced server admin at this point, I thought

it would be wise to ask you guys what would be the easiest and (most

importantly) safest way to move my existing Windows 2003 server to

completely different hardware without having to rebuild the entire

system from scratch?

 

Is there any software that can help with this move (say from Acronis or

Microsoft)?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

james

[Guest Daime]

RE: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

I have a similar problem: how to transfer a Windows Server installation to a

new hard disk. I tried doing an image copy but it wouldn't boot. I tried

running fixmbr and fixboot but it still wouldn't boot. I started to install

Windows Server 2003 from scratch on the new hard disk, then cancelled that

when it asked for the license key (at that point it would boot at least) and

then transferred the image over. Now it would boot but then I'd get an error

and it wouldn't log in, it would just log off. Something related to active

directory. Could be related to the fact that in the original install the NTDS

logs are in a separate partition. Or, one thing I'm not sure of, when it was

trying to boot up on the new disk, was it using the previouslty assigned

letter for that drive (T:) or was it booting up on a reassigned letter (C:)?

I imagine if it was trying to boot an image from a C: drive to a different

letter that would cause problems. (??)

 

Thank you

[Guest jim]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

Daime wrote:

> I have a similar problem: how to transfer a Windows Server installation to a

> new hard disk. I tried doing an image copy but it wouldn't boot. I tried

> running fixmbr and fixboot but it still wouldn't boot. I started to install

> Windows Server 2003 from scratch on the new hard disk, then cancelled that

> when it asked for the license key (at that point it would boot at least) and

> then transferred the image over. Now it would boot but then I'd get an error

> and it wouldn't log in, it would just log off. Something related to active

> directory. Could be related to the fact that in the original install the NTDS

> logs are in a separate partition. Or, one thing I'm not sure of, when it was

> trying to boot up on the new disk, was it using the previouslty assigned

> letter for that drive (T:) or was it booting up on a reassigned letter (C:)?

> I imagine if it was trying to boot an image from a C: drive to a different

> letter that would cause problems. (??)

>

> Thank you

 

It would seem that Microsoft would have conquered the whole server

migration issue by now, doesn't it?

 

Then again, it seems that Microsoft would have done a lot of things

better by now.

[Guest Phillip Windell]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

"jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message news:48A1FD1F.2060004@home.net...

> It would seem that Microsoft would have conquered the whole server

> migration issue by now, doesn't it?

 

I would never expect this to be done,...I don't expect it to ever happen.

 

An OS is "married" to the Hardware Environment when it gets

installed,...change the environment and it ususally won't run. Completely

expected.

 

Only two ways it works:

1. Use identical hardware when moving it

 

2. Use virtualization,...the virtualized Hardware does not change if the

Virtual Machine gets moved. This is one of the primary selling points of

using virtualization and products like VMWare, VirtualPC and Virtual Server,

and whatever they are calling the one built into Server 2008. VPC and

VServer are free,..parts of VMWare are free,...don't know squat about the

one in Server 2008.

 

--

Phillip Windell

http://www.wandtv.com

 

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,

or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

-----------------------------------------------------

[Guest Bill Grant]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

 

 

"Phillip Windell" <philwindell@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:#dO03LM$IHA.6132@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> "jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message news:48A1FD1F.2060004@home.net...

>

>> It would seem that Microsoft would have conquered the whole server

>> migration issue by now, doesn't it?

>

> I would never expect this to be done,...I don't expect it to ever happen.

>

> An OS is "married" to the Hardware Environment when it gets

> installed,...change the environment and it ususally won't run. Completely

> expected.

>

> Only two ways it works:

> 1. Use identical hardware when moving it

>

> 2. Use virtualization,...the virtualized Hardware does not change if

> the Virtual Machine gets moved. This is one of the primary selling points

> of using virtualization and products like VMWare, VirtualPC and Virtual

> Server, and whatever they are calling the one built into Server 2008. VPC

> and VServer are free,..parts of VMWare are free,...don't know squat about

> the one in Server 2008.

>

> --

> Phillip Windell

> http://www.wandtv.com

>

> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or

> Microsoft,

> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

> -----------------------------------------------------

>

>

 

It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

[Guest Phillip Windell]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

 

"Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message

news:O7YKPQN$IHA.4616@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

 

Ok.

 

Have you used it? Is it just a re-packaged Virtual Server with a little

fresh makeup on its face or is it a completely new product?

 

--

Phillip Windell

http://www.wandtv.com

 

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,

or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

-----------------------------------------------------

[Guest jim]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

Phillip Windell wrote:

> "Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message

> news:O7YKPQN$IHA.4616@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

>

> Ok.

>

> Have you used it? Is it just a re-packaged Virtual Server with a little

> fresh makeup on its face or is it a completely new product?

 

And how does it relate to migrating a server to new hardware?

[Guest Phillip Windell]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

Run the Server in a VM.

You will Backup the VM Files when you run backups on the VM "host" (the

physical machine).

 

If the VM "host" dies you can restore the VMs to any other hardware and they

will continue to run just fine.

 

There is also no more need to backup the server in question (although you

can still do that), you just backup the VM files on the physical machine

instead.With DCs you will still want to backup the "old fashion way" and

backup the system state because DCs have to be restored differently than

other servers do. The VM Files are kind of like having Ghost Images of the

HDs of the machine except that it runs right from the Image file directly as

if they were a real hard drive.

 

The Virtual environment will even read a CD or DVD "ISO" file directly as if

it was actually a real CD or DVD,...so you can keep ISO images of important

CDs/DVDs on a large Hard Drive and read them directly from the stored ISO

file instead figuring out where you stored the physical disk and digging it

out everytime you need it.

 

Download and get familiar with your choice of VirtualPC or Virtual Server.

What I am saying makes perfect sense once you realise how they work.

 

Virtualization is where the future is going,...that is why MS included the

Virtualization in Server 2008 and also why Licensing of Server 2003R2

Enterpirse Edition allows the running of additional copies of the OS in VMs

without buying additional Licensing. The days of fighting with OS

installations and failed hardware the "old fashioned way" are slowly going

away.

 

For example,..I have two Domains with 2 DCs with 2 ISA Servers one Exchange

Server, one SQL Server, and two XP Clients (these are all separate

"machines") running on a single piece of hardware (a laptop no less). I

have moved the whole thing from one piece of hardware to another about 3

times already with not even a hiccup from any of the servers running in the

Virtual Environment. I back it up by just copying the Virtual Hard Drive

files to a large external usb hard drive. It is only a test lab of

course,..I am not advocating loading it down that heavey in a production

environment, but it illustrates the flexability.

 

It would be interesting to see how many others here use virtualization in a

production environment and how elaborate they get with it.

 

--

Phillip Windell

http://www.wandtv.com

 

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,

or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

-----------------------------------------------------

 

"jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message news:48A316B9.70208@home.net...

> Phillip Windell wrote:

>> "Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message

>> news:O7YKPQN$IHA.4616@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>>> It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

>>

>> Ok.

>>

>> Have you used it? Is it just a re-packaged Virtual Server with a little

>> fresh makeup on its face or is it a completely new product?

>

> And how does it relate to migrating a server to new hardware?

>

>

[Guest Bill Grant]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

 

 

"Phillip Windell" <philwindell@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:eocgq0U$IHA.3380@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>

> "Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message

> news:O7YKPQN$IHA.4616@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

>

> Ok.

>

> Have you used it? Is it just a re-packaged Virtual Server with a little

> fresh makeup on its face or is it a completely new product?

>

> --

> Phillip Windell

> http://www.wandtv.com

>

> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or

> Microsoft,

> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

> -----------------------------------------------------

>

>

 

Yes, I have been using it since the first Beta. And no, it is not at all

like Virtual Server. It is not an application program but a server role

which installs a hypervisor between the OS an the hardware.

[Guest Daime]

Re: URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

 

I don't get what you siad about the DC. If it's running as a DC, then it

seems you said this VM approach isn't as helpful? Or is it? Can you say more

about backing up a VM DC? Thanks.

 

"Phillip Windell" wrote:

> Run the Server in a VM.

> You will Backup the VM Files when you run backups on the VM "host" (the

> physical machine).

>

> If the VM "host" dies you can restore the VMs to any other hardware and they

> will continue to run just fine.

>

> There is also no more need to backup the server in question (although you

> can still do that), you just backup the VM files on the physical machine

> instead.With DCs you will still want to backup the "old fashion way" and

> backup the system state because DCs have to be restored differently than

> other servers do. The VM Files are kind of like having Ghost Images of the

> HDs of the machine except that it runs right from the Image file directly as

> if they were a real hard drive.

>

> The Virtual environment will even read a CD or DVD "ISO" file directly as if

> it was actually a real CD or DVD,...so you can keep ISO images of important

> CDs/DVDs on a large Hard Drive and read them directly from the stored ISO

> file instead figuring out where you stored the physical disk and digging it

> out everytime you need it.

>

> Download and get familiar with your choice of VirtualPC or Virtual Server.

> What I am saying makes perfect sense once you realise how they work.

>

> Virtualization is where the future is going,...that is why MS included the

> Virtualization in Server 2008 and also why Licensing of Server 2003R2

> Enterpirse Edition allows the running of additional copies of the OS in VMs

> without buying additional Licensing. The days of fighting with OS

> installations and failed hardware the "old fashioned way" are slowly going

> away.

>

> For example,..I have two Domains with 2 DCs with 2 ISA Servers one Exchange

> Server, one SQL Server, and two XP Clients (these are all separate

> "machines") running on a single piece of hardware (a laptop no less). I

> have moved the whole thing from one piece of hardware to another about 3

> times already with not even a hiccup from any of the servers running in the

> Virtual Environment. I back it up by just copying the Virtual Hard Drive

> files to a large external usb hard drive. It is only a test lab of

> course,..I am not advocating loading it down that heavey in a production

> environment, but it illustrates the flexability.

>

> It would be interesting to see how many others here use virtualization in a

> production environment and how elaborate they get with it.

>

> --

> Phillip Windell

> http://www.wandtv.com

>

> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,

> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.

> -----------------------------------------------------

>

> "jim" <jim@home.net> wrote in message news:48A316B9.70208@home.net...

> > Phillip Windell wrote:

> >> "Bill Grant" <not.available@online> wrote in message

> >> news:O7YKPQN$IHA.4616@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> >>> It is called Hyper-V , Phil!

> >>

> >> Ok.

> >>

> >> Have you used it? Is it just a re-packaged Virtual Server with a little

> >> fresh makeup on its face or is it a completely new product?

> >

> > And how does it relate to migrating a server to new hardware?

> >

> >

>

>

>