Novell to Server 2008 R2

[dhavard]

I have searched for info/suggestions and haven't found what I am looking for, so here we go. We currently have 3 Novell servers running Netware 6.5 and 500 workstation running Win XP. One is the main server (file) that handles the users and "home" drives for each user. A second novell server that houses our software we deploy to users as well as images for the machines. Then we have a third novell server that houses some of our school reading programs and library software. We have 4 other servers running Windows server 2003 and used for applications and databases. We are looking to migrate from Novell to Windows Server 2008 R2 and I am trying to figure out the best way to do this. I have one spare server that I loaded 2008 R2 onto and I am wondering how I can migrate all 3 novell servers to microsoft if I don't have any other additional servers to use? I am beginning to think this will be much more difficult than I originally imagined. Hope I haven't confused anyone as I think I have been over thinking this, and I tend to confuse the hell out of myself when I do that.

[twin--turbo]

What spec are the servers?

My first port of call would be to P2V the 3 novell boxes.

Where are the user accounts managed from?

Novell IDM will sync users between eDir and AD ( although you have to normalise the users so there are no duplicates in AD )

Rob

[dhavard]

What spec are the servers?

The spare server I have Microsoft Server 2008 r2 loaded on has 2 intel xenon E5530 processors with 32GB of RAM and 7 300GB Hard Drives.
The servers currently being used with Novell and Microsoft Server 2003 are a mixture of IBM X235's and X232's. The 232's have 4 74GB hard drives and the 235's have 6 74GB hard drives.

Where are the user accounts managed from?

Do you mean what server?

[twin--turbo]

Do you use Active Directory or Edirectory for your user management?

Rob

[cpjitservices]

Personally - I'd do what I did at my old college when we migrated from Netware 6 to AD 2008 - Build a brand new domain on the 2008 servers and migrate all of your users from eDir to AD.

Although if I could - I'd of stuck with Netware!

[dhavard]

Do you use Active Directory or Edirectory for your user management?

Rob

Currently using Edirectory for user management. My plan was to setup the 2008 server and convert/migrate users over to active directory on it and then possibly use a virtual server off of it and transfer all of the user files? I'm trying to figure out how to get all of the data off the 3 novell servers so that I can start converting them to windows server 2003 and then transfer the data back to those boxes if possible.