Moving a server to new hardware

Hi all

We have 2 Windows 2003 Servers Standard Edition. One of the servers is on
aging hardware and we are planning to move everything including Active
Directory to a new server hardware with the same server name. What is the
best practice? Any document from Microsoft about doing this? I am sure many
people have done it before.

Thanks.
axj

Hello AXJ,

If you have 2 DC's make the one that will stay the 5 FSMO holder, Global
catalog and DNS server (AD integrated zones), if needed also DHCP or whatever
role. Then check with dcdiag /v, netdiag /v and repadmin /showrepl that no
errors exist.

If everything is fine i would demote the old server to member server (check
that it moves to the computers container in ADUC), then rename it, check
DNS for the correct name updates after reboot and install the new machine
with the old name.
Then promote it to DC, make it GC/DNS server and move data if needed to the
new machine with the old name. If the old server has no longer anything to
do you can delete it from ADUC.

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


> Hi all
>
> We have 2 Windows 2003 Servers Standard Edition. One of the servers is
> on aging hardware and we are planning to move everything including
> Active Directory to a new server hardware with the same server name.
> What is the best practice? Any document from Microsoft about doing
> this? I am sure many people have done it before.
>
> Thanks.
> ax