Domain upgrade - Oh what to do?

[speckytecky]

We are a small KS3/4 Special school currently running what was in origin a NT domain that's been migrated to Server 2003 then Server 2008. Migrated with a heap of legacy issues; such as mysteriously picking up the wrong proxy setting! We run a physical server based SIMS MIS which at one stage we were looking to move to hosted SIMS. Our workstations / laptops are all running Windows 7 Pro a mix of 32 bit and 64 bit as some of the kit is now 10 years old.

 

The school management are deep in Multi Academy Trust talks.

 

Over the summer we are upgrading - but it's just the main server with a fairly decent spec box that will run Server 2012 R2 and a decent Synology NAS box only that are coming in.

 

What I seek advice on please fellow Edugeekers is thoughts on the best way to go - as we aren't after all going to Hosted SIMS the original plan of building a brand new domain maybe not the best option and maybe yet another migration might be our way to go?

[snagrat]

Just migrate to a new DC.

 

If your concerned about the historic issues then look at recreating all OUs and GPOs from scratch so you know nothing old is lurking.

 

Or try and fix the issues with existing GPOs

[psydii]

With the limited amount of information presented:

If you are likely becoming a satellite in an MAT, I suggest that you do the minimumum work required to upgrade the existing domain and migrate the data to the new kit. Live with the legacy weirdness, and then grab the merger with both hands when it happens. I'd suggest that right now a ground up rebuild would be a lot of work that will be ripped apart in 1-2 years.

 

The 'obvious' thing to do is hyper-v + ADDS DC on the physical box and then VMs as you need.

 

 

The following is pretty generic advice too:

 

In order to decide the best way forward you need to have a good analysis of your current position, and that which may influence potential future positions.

 

From a current technical perspective you need a view on the systems and how they hang together and what they actually do. One needs to have some system diagrams that present :

your servers, and the roles they hold. (I'd suggest that each file share be considered a separate role for this analysis)

the clients and the services they depend upon for imaging software deployment

the clients/users and the apps they depend upon

Your users and the settings they need across the various clients

Your LAN and WLAN (form a VLAN perspective)

 

 

You should then consider what you'd do in an ideal world, with everything else being unchanging.

Again draw equivalent system maps, and figure out how each "box" might move between the two model (present and ideal)

 

Then consider 'near' external pressures (i.e. the changing needs of the organisation). List them.

Does this change any of you presumptions that you used in the 'ideal world' case?

 

Then consider 'far' external pressures (joining a MAT, Cloud and licensing changes, funding)

What would your system diagrams look like in these models?

 

How likely are some of these potential external influences? How long might it be before they have an effect? How long is the lifetime of the existing system, or the potential immediate future systems?

 

One potential question you can ask once you have a clear picture of things, is: Do you want to be spending the next 18 months support/troubleshooting a 'new' system that is about to be superseded.. or do you want do the minimum necessary to keep the ship afloat, while learning/preparing becoming involved in the changes driven by the larger external influences? Now, this question presumes a huge amount and anyone following the analysis method above may feel that the crucial question(s) is/are completely different.

[speckytecky]

Thanks for the very useful replies @snagrat and @psydii

 

Greatly appreciated - my mind was getting pretty foggy on the way forward!