Upgrade from 2008 R2

[Jaymate]

Hi all,

 

Just a quick question - apologies if already asked & answered already.

 

Looking to upgrade our servers here from 2008 R2 to 20012.

 

Is it really as simple as updating AD schema for forest & domain (and crossing fingers) and then doing install following the upgrade option?

 

Do all services, shares etc. just following and work as they should?

 

Can I do it in stages - e.g.. DC's this half term, file servers at christmas etc etc.

 

Were running VMWare - anything I need to think about there?

 

Any gotcha's along the way to be thinking about?

 

Thanks in advance

[fairm010]

Was just about to ask the same question.. Will keep my eye on this thread!

[3s-gtech]

Sounds pretty much right. When adding a 2012 DC, I updated the schema and created a new machine rather than upgrading. However, I did in place upgrades on two file servers which worked nicely. For ESXi, make sure you're running a recent version which supports 2012 (5.1 on I think)

[fairm010]

So if I run upgrade on my DC will it upgrade and transfer roles eg AD, DNS etc?

 

Matt

[FN-GM]

Might be worth waiting Server 2012 R2 is out on the 18th

[3s-gtech]

So if I run upgrade on my DC will it upgrade and transfer roles eg AD, DNS etc?

 

Matt

 

In theory. If you have one DC, this is perhaps a little risky but should work. As I say, it's usually the norm to update the schema, create another DC running the newer OS, transfer roles, demote the old (or keep it if you wish). Not so easy on purely physical machines. I've never in-place upgraded a DC, it may well work fine but if it doesn't you could have some fun.

[HPlum78]

In place upgrades do work from 2008 R2 to 2012 (need more than 1 DC), that said only do this in none production environments as its not recommended or indeed supported. As stated above I would now wait for 2012 r2 to be released. Then do a migration to a new server 2012 server, so adprep /forestprep on your existing environment, then on your new server 2012 - Server Manger and add the AD stuff. Then move the FSMO Roles from Server 2008 r2 DC to new Server then demote your original DC out. Clearly checking after each step that replication has taken place and that version numbers on the schema are correct and the like (plenty of TechNet stuff on this process guys) also would be the time to think about a second DC for those who only have one!

[sted]

if youre talking about upgrading the domain to 2012 level rather than a specific server just add the 2012 server to the domain it will do all the adprep/gpprep stuff for you (infact i dont think you can do it manually now and you have to use powershell/gui dcpromo is depreciated)

[HPlum78]

Sted is correct they are built into the AD DS install, however they are available here \Support\Adprep folder of the operating system disk. I am still old school on this and like to run them separate to the AD DS installation no need to these days though.