URGENT: How to move 2003 Server to new machine?

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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
 
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
 
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.
 
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
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.
-----------------------------------------------------
 
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
> 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!
 
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
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.
-----------------------------------------------------
 
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?
 
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
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?
>
>
 
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
> 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.
 
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
> 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?
> >
> >
>
>
>
 
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