Windows Server 2003 to 2007

  • Thread starter Thread starter karlman
  • Start date Start date
K

karlman

Guest
I am currently running a single Windows 203 STD server which is also
my Exchange 2003 and SQL 2005 server. I am wanting to upgrade to 2008
and Exchange 2007. I am having some issues with the current server so
I rather not do any kind of upgrade and instead wipe it out and start
from scratch.

Is there a best practice on how to do this?

Should I bring up a temporary domain controller and join it to the
domain before killing my server?

If I just wiped the server and installed 2007 would I be able to
restore my Exchange 2003 backups to the new Exchange 2007 server?

If I just wiped the server would I keep the new domain name the same?

Could I lose access to files on workstations? I imagine this could be
corrected by the new domain admin?


Thank you
Karl
 
Re: Windows Server 2003 to 2007

Hello karlman,

See inline

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

> I am currently running a single Windows 203 STD server which is also
> my Exchange 2003 and SQL 2005 server. I am wanting to upgrade to 2008
> and Exchange 2007. I am having some issues with the current server so
> I rather not do any kind of upgrade and instead wipe it out and start
> from scratch.
>
> Is there a best practice on how to do this?

Best practise and recommended from MS is to run Exchange on member servers
not on DC's. Also SQL should be better on separate server. A DC should do
it basic work, AD/DNS/GC and maybe DHCP, that's all.

> Should I bring up a temporary domain controller and join it to the
> domain before killing my server?

Best way is to have allways 2 DC's with AD integrated DNS and GC in a single
domain forest. So bring up a second DC and kepp it, can also be an older
machine, just for redundancy.

> If I just wiped the server and installed 2007 would I be able to
> restore my Exchange 2003 backups to the new Exchange 2007 server?

Do not do it that way, as far as i know you need a running domain, because
you need the account/password from the installation, to bring back a backup
from an exchange server, also the server name must be the same for restoring
exchange.

> If I just wiped the server would I keep the new domain name the same?

If you wipe the server, you will start from scratch. Even if you choose the
same name no domain workstation or domain user can logon anymore ot it.

> Could I lose access to files on workstations? I imagine this could be
> corrected by the new domain admin?

If files are stored locally on the workstation they will not be lost. To
access them you need to know the local admin password if they are stored
under the user account.

> Thank you
> Karl
 
Re: Windows Server 2003 to 2007

karlman wrote:
> I am currently running a single Windows 203 STD server which is also
> my Exchange 2003 and SQL 2005 server. I am wanting to upgrade to 2008
> and Exchange 2007. I am having some issues with the current server so
> I rather not do any kind of upgrade and instead wipe it out and start
> from scratch.
>
> Is there a best practice on how to do this?
>
> Should I bring up a temporary domain controller and join it to the
> domain before killing my server?
>
> If I just wiped the server and installed 2007 would I be able to
> restore my Exchange 2003 backups to the new Exchange 2007 server?
>
> If I just wiped the server would I keep the new domain name the same?
>
> Could I lose access to files on workstations? I imagine this could be
> corrected by the new domain admin?
>
>
> Thank you
> Karl
This is the best explanation I've ever seen for not installing
everything on a single server and having only one server in a domain.

You say you are having troubles with the current server. Try and imagine
what you would do if the server failed entirely. Meinolf gave a good
snapshot of what would be up for you.

It's also a bad idea to have Exchange and SQL on the same server. Each
one wants all the available memory and really won't cooperate well with
the other.

You really should have 3 servers (actually 4) a DC (and a second DC),
Exchange and SQL servers.

Assuming you could get a hold of the hardware, I would:

1) Set up another DC and get it working. While it's "optional", it's not
good to have a single DC. The hardware for a secondary DC really isn't
much. A decent workstation is more than adequate....
2) Install Exchange 2007 on a new server and migrate the mailboxes, etc,
to the new server
3) Install SQL 2000 on a new server, move the databases and then upgrade
to 2005

When done, make sure everything is running properly (stop the Exchange &
SQL services on the original DC. After a few days, if everything is OK,
uninstall Exchange and SQL2000 from that server. Do a cleanup and see if
your original problems are resolved.

I'm sure that this is not what you want to hear, but your current
situation is a disaster waiting to happen....
--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services
 
Re: Windows Server 2003 to 2007

Pretty much what I figured but hoping there was something out there to
make it easier. I would love a few more servers but that simply has
not been an option.

Time to talk them into more hardware!

Thanks
 
Back
Top