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Reply With Quotesrochford (25th November 2009)
I've recently started at a new school and do not like the way the network is set up. Everything seems to be backwards.
I've decided that next week I'm going to rebuild the servers and clients from scratch and then copy previous files back on.
I have a list that I've been over hundreds of times, but can people give me there list (if they were rebuilding networks) to doubly check I haven't missed anything because I need this to go smooth, obviously.
Many thanks,
back everything up, twice. and check it all.
in fact, i'd get used to the system first, then rebuild later.
Why not post your list and people can say if you've missed something?
Ben
For all I only officially started 2 weeks ago, I have been coming here for about 2 months.
So I am pretty familiar with it. I refuse to familarise myself more when I plan on binning it and doing things how I like, not some tuppence h'penny way of doing things.
Good idea plexer. Give me 2 seconds and I'll check it over and post it.
If you've got the servers, I'd get a new domain running and playing nice with your new client builds before migrating.
if you able to migrate to a new server that would be the ideal sitution that way no data will be lost and u always have a backup easily accessible. but thats prob not an option.. make sure your backups are complete and verify them before anything else. find out all the shares that are present and needed
other than that good luck!
Might be worth building it virtually first. Tools like VMWare converter can easilly migrate from virtual to physical once you have it all set up and running smoothly. Doing it that way at least you still have the old stuff to fall back onto.
From my experience re-building our domain from scratch last year, I would say the following.
Backup everything, absolutely everything at least 2 good full backups to tape/DVD/removeable HDD whatever you have available.
If you have space, I would considor taking a ghost image of you main DC, and other servers so if the worst came to the worst you could restore everything back to the way it was. (Norton ghost doesn't oficially support ghosting servers, but it does work)
Check you have installation discs for any software installed on the servers and workstations, including serial numbers (been caught by this a few times)
Decide now exactly how you want things to work, and start experimenting with any scripts etc. you might want to use to make sure you know how they work, else you can end up spend ages at a later date doing this.
If you're on your own and havn't built a domain from scratch before, I would strongly recommend getting some help from someone who has, at least for the initial setting up of the domain. Configuring things such as DHCP and DNS from sctratch can be a little tricky if you've not done them before.
If you have services such as exchange on site, remember if you're building a new domain, these will have to be setup from scratch, as they integrate heavily into active directory, and can be a pain.
Give yourself plenty of time! If you think it's going to take 3 weeks, it will probably take 5, as there's always things that catch you out no matter how well you plan things!
That's my 2p of advice.
Mike.
Didnt know it was possible to go from virtual to physical, thought it was only the other way round. O well, learn something new every day.Originally Posted by simongrahamuk
I wish you the best of luck but will throw in a word of caution. This really isn't the type of thing to jump into, especially so new into the job. If something unforseen hoes wrong you won't exactly be Mr Popular.
My advice. However frustrating - get used to the network how it is and learn exactly how things are set up now, and where everything is. Then sit down and plan your changes thoroughly. Split the changes up and do a few small changes that you can test thoroughly every half-term/term holiday.
Before you know it the network will be set up the way you like it. Everything will be documented and you wouldn't have upset anybody unnecerssarily.
That's what I have done here. I've been in the job a year and so farf have ditched VMWare Server in favour of MS virtualisation, virtualised one ex DC and set up a new Win 2008R2 DC. Over the coming year all my servers will be Win2008R2 DC. And everything will be virtuallised ready for a SAN/NAS to go in over the summer. Then next year I can plan for Win7.
Like I say take it slow. Don't jump in with both feet. I've been their and done that and it causes all sorts of problems.
srochford (25th November 2009)
I would imagine it has been done by now as the thread is over 2 year old!
the related threads section strikes again!
tmcd35 (25th November 2009)
LOL - should read the dates! I saw 1 post from today and didn't twigg the rest
This has been happening alot lately - re: dead threads resurfacing. Still I hope what I put was good(ish) advice for anyone finding this later and planning to do something similarly foolish
Given the age of the original post, there's not much point in offering advice to the original poster - I hope it all went well for them but they don't seem to be here any longer so who knows; maybe it did all go pear shaped and they can't even get on the web any longer :-)
Probably is worth emphasising the need to take everything slowly - we had a thread recently about "it wasn't like that in my last place" and people often don't like that sort of comment - even if "my last place" was way better than the current place.
I'd guess that if there are lots of complaints about the way the system works (from management and users) then you can move more quickly but if most people are happy then you need to take your time otherwise you'll get the "well, when Mr X was here, everything used to work just find and now you've broken it" - which probably won't be true but is worth trying to avoid :-)
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