Are you still struggling to get rid of your existing Windows 2003 Servers?

Did you forget that July14, 2015 is the END?

For more information you can go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/server-cloud/products/windows-server-2003/default.aspx

 

 

Here is what we have been doing with our customers at a high level to fast track them off of their aging infrastructure.

Follow these 25 steps and you will be able to migrate from Windows 2003 like a champ!

Let’s take a Server that is running Windows 2003 and is a Domain Controller, DHCP, DNS, and some File Services.

  1. Build a new Windows 2012 R2 Server (Make sure you fully patch it)
  2. Join it to the Domain
  3. Install the AD, DHCP, DNS, and File Services (Including De-Duplication) Roles.
  4. Logon to the Existing Windows 2003 Domain Controller and stop the DHCP Server Service.
  5. Copy the DHCP Database from the from Windows 2003 (%windir%\system32\dhcp\dhcp.mdb) to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server (c:\Export\DHCP\dhcp.mdb)
    1. Make sure you only grab the DHCP Database and not the associated log files.
      Note: This will take all of the associated Scopes from the old server to the new one. It is a complete cutover. If you need to take individual scopes
      you should use netsh or the Server Migration Toolkit.
  6. Export the DNS Configuration for all of the Standard Primary and Secondary Zones (Forward and Reverse).
    1. To do this export the DNS Registry keys (HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\DNS Server\Zones to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server (c:\export\DNS\zones.reg)
    2. Copy *.dns from %windir%\system32\dns to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server (c:\export\DNS)
  7. Run net share on the old server to view all of the current shared folders. Review the Permissions and decide which folders to take over to the new server

    Real World Note: This is a good time to look at cleaning up some of the old shares. It is likely that most of the data isn’t even required on the new server.
    It is also a good time to review the permissions to see if they are correct and in a desired state for the new server.
    Using the RoboCopy command below will mirror the permissions.

  8. Logon to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server
  9. Configure a RoboCopy script to mirror all of the desired folders to the new server

    Robocopy “\\<OldServer>\client service advisors” “f:\Client Service Advisors” /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:5 /W:15 /MT:12 /V /NP /LOG:f:\RoboCopySync_<OldServer>_clientserviceadvisor.log

     

    Robocopy “\\<Old Server>\client services” “f:\Client services” /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:5 /W:15 /MT:12 /V /NP /LOG:f:\RoboCopySync_<OldServer>_clientservices.log

     

    Robocopy “\\<Old Server>\corporate client services” “f:\corporate Client services” /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:5 /W:15 /MT:12 /V /NP /LOG:f:\RoboCopySync_<OldServer>_corporateclientservices.log

     

    Robocopy “\\<Old Server>\hrs-pdf-reports” “f:\hrs-pdf-reports” /MIR /SEC /SECFIX /R:5 /W:15 /MT:12 /V /NP /LOG:f:\RoboCopySync_<OldServer>_hrs-pdf-reports.log

     

    Real World Note: We normally check the log files generated by this script to check for open files. Normally it can take a few days to fully Sync everything up.
    In production we would likely let this run as a scheduled task for a couple of weeks and check back.
    RobyCopy will only take the changing or missing files so the final run of the script is very quick.

     

  10. Setup the Shares and Share Permissions on the new Windows 2012 R2 Server.
  11. Disable Strict Name Checking
    1. Expand the following key: HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters
    2. Create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value of DisableStrictNameChecking
    3. Set the Value to 1

     

    Real World Note: We use the above setting to help us steal the name of the old server by the creation of a CNAME record that points to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server.
    This is important because a lot of users could have created mapped drives manually to the shares that will no longer exist on the old server.

     

  12. Logon to the old Windows 2003 Domain Controller
  13. Demote the old Windows 2003 Domain Controller using DCPromo.exe
  14. Rename the old Windows 2003 Server (which is now a member server) to <ServerName>-Old
  15. Note the IP Address of <ServerName>-Old and change the IP Address
  16. In DNS Create a CName Record in DNS that points the old Windows 2003 Server to the name of the new Windows 2012 R2 Server
  17. Logon to the new Windows 2012 R2 Server
  18. Change the IP Address to the IP Address of the old Windows 2003 Domain Controller

    Real World Note: This is a very important step because if clients or servers are configured to use the old windows 2003 Server for DNS this will allow for a seamless transition.
    Also DHCP Migration requires us to use the IP Address of the old server because the existing client leases are tied to that IP Address.

  19. Promote it as a Replica Domain Controller
    1. Validate Active Directory DNS Zones are created
    2. Validate AD Replication is working via the KCC (Knowledge Consistency Checker)
    3. Ensure there are not any errors in the event logs
  20. Migrate DHCP
    1. Delete all of the existing database files including logfiles from %windir%\system32\dhcp
    2. Copy the old DHCP Database from c:\export\dhcp\dhcp.mdb to %windir%\system32\dhcp
    3. Start the DHCP Server and Authorize the DHCP Server
    4. You should have all of the scopes from the old server including their leases now

  21. Migrate DNS
    1. Import the Registry key from c:\export\dns\zones.reg
    2. Copy all of the *.dns files from c:\export\dns to %windir%\system32\dns
    3. Restart the DNS Service
    4. Validate that all of the Standard Primary and Secondary (Forward and Reverse) lookup zones are there
  22. Validate that you can browse the UNC Path of \\<oldserver>\<share> using the new CNAME
  23. Validate that you can browse the UNC Path of \\<newserver>\<share> using the name of the new Windows 2012 R2 Server
  24. Validate that DNS and DHCP are working properly
  25. Shut down the old Windows 2003 Server

    Real World Note: We normally don’t delete the virtual machine or remove the physical server for at least a few months.