Need Advise - Upgrading Windows 2000 Server to 2003.

Hello,

I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need some advise
as to which is the best option to go about it.

Currently all servers have Windows 2000.

I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install Windows
2003 OS on the same hardware.

I have two questions
a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think all the
existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained? e.g. ip address,
user accounts, etc.

b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows 2000
server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install Windows 2003
server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is there such an option to
do this? If yes, what all settings should I be considering for exporting so
that I retain the config as before?

Thanks for you assistance.

Hello nirvana,

One important detail we need to know, do youhave domain or workgroup server?

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


> Hello,
>
> I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need some
> advise as to which is the best option to go about it.
>
> Currently all servers have Windows 2000.
>
> I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install
> Windows 2003 OS on the same hardware.
>
> I have two questions
> a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think
> all the
> existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained? e.g. ip
> address,
> user accounts, etc.
> b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows
> 2000 server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install
> Windows 2003 server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is
> there such an option to do this? If yes, what all settings should I
> be considering for exporting so that I retain the config as before?
>
> Thanks for you assistance.
>

nirvana <> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need some
> advise as to which is the best option to go about it.
>
> Currently all servers have Windows 2000.
>
> I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install
> Windows 2003 OS on the same hardware.
>
> I have two questions
> a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think
> all the existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained?
> e.g. ip address, user accounts, etc.
>
> b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows
> 2000 server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install
> Windows 2003 server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is
> there such an option to do this? If yes, what all settings should I
> be considering for exporting so that I retain the config as before?
>
> Thanks for you assistance.

Meinolf's question is a very good one. If you have Active Directory, this
becomes much easier.

I am not a fan of upgrades in place - and if you have AD, you don't need
to. Get ahold of some temporary 'swing' hardware to do a domain upgrade,
transfer FSMO roles, etc - then you can demote the old DC(s) and do a clean
install of W2003 on them.

If you don't have AD this is a huge chore and you should consider
configuring it now while you're doing all this work on the network.

Thanks for your response.

I am only trying to upgrade members servers running Windows 2000 server OS.
My AD setup is already at 2003.

-----------------------------------------------------------
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> nirvana <> wrote:
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need some
> > advise as to which is the best option to go about it.
> >
> > Currently all servers have Windows 2000.
> >
> > I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install
> > Windows 2003 OS on the same hardware.
> >
> > I have two questions
> > a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think
> > all the existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained?
> > e.g. ip address, user accounts, etc.
> >
> > b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows
> > 2000 server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install
> > Windows 2003 server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is
> > there such an option to do this? If yes, what all settings should I
> > be considering for exporting so that I retain the config as before?
> >
> > Thanks for you assistance.
>
> Meinolf's question is a very good one. If you have Active Directory, this
> becomes much easier.
>
> I am not a fan of upgrades in place - and if you have AD, you don't need
> to. Get ahold of some temporary 'swing' hardware to do a domain upgrade,
> transfer FSMO roles, etc - then you can demote the old DC(s) and do a clean
> install of W2003 on them.
>
> If you don't have AD this is a huge chore and you should consider
> configuring it now while you're doing all this work on the network.
>
>
>

nirvana <> wrote:
> Thanks for your response.
>
> I am only trying to upgrade members servers running Windows 2000
> server OS. My AD setup is already at 2003.

OK, good - that was not clear, as you mentioned user accounts. I'm still not
a fan of in place upgrades and suggest that you set up a temporary "swing"
server. You don't mention the server roles, but if it's a file or print
server, migrate that to the temp box, and then you'll be able to disjoin the
domain and do a clean install. Then reverse the process.
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> nirvana <> wrote:
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need
>>> some advise as to which is the best option to go about it.
>>>
>>> Currently all servers have Windows 2000.
>>>
>>> I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install
>>> Windows 2003 OS on the same hardware.
>>>
>>> I have two questions
>>> a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think
>>> all the existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained?
>>> e.g. ip address, user accounts, etc.
>>>
>>> b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows
>>> 2000 server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install
>>> Windows 2003 server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is
>>> there such an option to do this? If yes, what all settings should I
>>> be considering for exporting so that I retain the config as before?
>>>
>>> Thanks for you assistance.
>>
>> Meinolf's question is a very good one. If you have Active Directory,
>> this becomes much easier.
>>
>> I am not a fan of upgrades in place - and if you have AD, you don't
>> need to. Get ahold of some temporary 'swing' hardware to do a domain
>> upgrade, transfer FSMO roles, etc - then you can demote the old
>> DC(s) and do a clean install of W2003 on them.
>>
>> If you don't have AD this is a huge chore and you should consider
>> configuring it now while you're doing all this work on the network.

Hello nirvana,

In addition to Lanwench's info. If the server is only file and print, you
can use prinmigrator and robocopy for data including the permission copy.
Personal i also would choose fresh install instead of inplace upgrades. Did
some inplace upgrades and there is too much old stuff left.

Printmigrator:
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServ...grator3.1.mspx

Robocopy:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l.../cc733145.aspx

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


> Thanks for your response.
>
> I am only trying to upgrade members servers running Windows 2000
> server OS. My AD setup is already at 2003.
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------- "Lanwench
> [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> nirvana <> wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> I have a requirement of updating servers to Window 2003. I need
>>> some advise as to which is the best option to go about it.
>>>
>>> Currently all servers have Windows 2000.
>>>
>>> I need to either upgrade Windows 2000 to 2003 OR freshly install
>>> Windows 2003 OS on the same hardware.
>>>
>>> I have two questions
>>> a) If I were to upgarde from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003, I think
>>> all the existing settings will be retained. Will they be retained?
>>> e.g. ip address, user accounts, etc.
>>> b) Can i export the settings from the currently installed Windows
>>> 2000 server ie. ip address, user accounts etc. Then freshly install
>>> Windows 2003 server and import the settings onto Windows 2003. Is
>>> there such an option to do this? If yes, what all settings should I
>>> be considering for exporting so that I retain the config as before?
>>>
>>> Thanks for you assistance.
>>>
>> Meinolf's question is a very good one. If you have Active Directory,
>> this becomes much easier.
>>
>> I am not a fan of upgrades in place - and if you have AD, you don't
>> need to. Get ahold of some temporary 'swing' hardware to do a domain
>> upgrade, transfer FSMO roles, etc - then you can demote the old DC(s)
>> and do a clean install of W2003 on them.
>>
>> If you don't have AD this is a huge chore and you should consider
>> configuring it now while you're doing all this work on the network.
>>

Thanks for your speedy response.

Sorry I should have made myself more clear. In my setup we have a mixture
of Web Servers and 3rd party application servers.

I am going down the route of freshly installing Windows 2003 and migrating
the settings over. The reason for doing a fresh install is we have a base
build for 2003 and the migrated servers will have a clean slate. Issues of
upgrading willl not arise.

Here is what i need clarification about.
The web servers are load balanced, how can i migrate the load balancing over
to my new setup for 2003? Ideally I would like to migrate maybe ip settings,
network load balancing settings, host file entries, routing tables, services
listing, IIS settings etc. What else should i be considering?

3rd party application servers have tweaked around with windows settings for
a few years so we are not sure from a OS point of view whats changed. Maybe
ODBC, application specific hotfixes, versions of .net and msxml etc.

What i would like to do is for any single server write a script or something
that will export all windows settings that are applied, so that it can be
imported into the fresh install. One point to remember is that I also need
to be confident this is going to work as there are 2 servers involved in nlb.

OR

Would it be easier to just upgrade to 2003 and let windows retain existing
settings?

Hello nirvana,

To upgrade/migrate IIS with load balancing better choose IIS newsgroup:
microsoft.public.inetserver.iis
microsoft.public.inetserver.misc

I would try an inplace upgrade in a test lab first. Depending on the additional
applications you should also check the vendors website about.

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


> Thanks for your speedy response.
>
> Sorry I should have made myself more clear. In my setup we have a
> mixture of Web Servers and 3rd party application servers.
>
> I am going down the route of freshly installing Windows 2003 and
> migrating the settings over. The reason for doing a fresh install is
> we have a base build for 2003 and the migrated servers will have a
> clean slate. Issues of upgrading willl not arise.
>
> Here is what i need clarification about.
> The web servers are load balanced, how can i migrate the load
> balancing over
> to my new setup for 2003? Ideally I would like to migrate maybe ip
> settings,
> network load balancing settings, host file entries, routing tables,
> services
> listing, IIS settings etc. What else should i be considering?
> 3rd party application servers have tweaked around with windows
> settings for a few years so we are not sure from a OS point of view
> whats changed. Maybe ODBC, application specific hotfixes, versions of
> .net and msxml etc.
>
> What i would like to do is for any single server write a script or
> something that will export all windows settings that are applied, so
> that it can be imported into the fresh install. One point to remember
> is that I also need to be confident this is going to work as there are
> 2 servers involved in nlb.
>
> OR
>
> Would it be easier to just upgrade to 2003 and let windows retain
> existing settings?
>

Another vote for a clean install.

BTW, I've used Print Migrator and it's fantastic. I use it as a backup
in the event of a server crash. As long as the server you are migrating
from and the one you are migrating to are the same OS, it works flawlessly.
--

Regards,
Hank Arnold
Microsoft MVP
Windows Server - Directory Services
http://mypcassistant.blogspot.com/

Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS] wrote:
> Hello nirvana,
>
> In addition to Lanwench's info. If the server is only file and print,
> you can use prinmigrator and robocopy for data including the permission
> copy. Personal i also would choose fresh install instead of inplace
> upgrades. Did some inplace upgrades and there is too much old stuff left.
>