File Server Migration

[quietkindofrebel]

Hi. I was hoping for some advice on setting up a new file server.

I’m most of the way there, I’ve set up a new VM to act as the new file server and all the data/permissions have been moved across and the shares distributed.

 

The trouble is when I set up a new user to test in AD and assign them the new share as their profile path (matching the setup on the previous file server just to the new share) it fails when trying to login with my least favorite phrase “the user profile service failed the logon…”. When I look within the share I can see the test users (I assume roaming profile) .v2 has been created but not the standard profile where there documents etc. are stored.

 

Some background, I’m still relatively new to the server side of things I was initially hired part time as a hand for the then SYS-admin, who then left for greener pastures. Basically I had about a month’s training before I was flying solo and I’ve found myself as a somewhat hesitant and drastically under qualified ad-hoc system manager. (Not an unusual occurrence from what I can see on my go to forums!) I have learnt a lot over the last year from basically starting as a standard user who knew his way around home computing but I’m very much aware I now find myself in the just enough knowledge to be dangerous category!

 

I know how to use the system I’ve inherited but unfortunately not the groundwork on how it was set up and the systems behind it. We are now working in a new VM environment but the old file server and email system are the last P2V links in the chain that need moving over.

 

So anyway long story short please treat me as a novice…I think the problem is that new profiles are not being created on the share, problem is I do not know what is responsible for creating the user profile… I assumed as the test profile is in the same AD group it would pick up the same GPOs etc. so perhaps it is one of the GPOS that controls this? Scripts?… any point in the right direction or what is the usual set up for these things would be much appreciated.

[techy32]

Well I am not an expert on roaming profile and didn't setup the system here but inherited...

 

I can see that in our system it is setup as a GPO....

 

Create a new GPO and provide the following information under

user configuration

Policies->Windows Settings->Folder Redirection and then setup

 

AppData ( Roaming) provide your service location and path

Contacts - provide your service location and path

Desktop - provide your service location and path

Documents - provide your service location and path

Downloads - provide your service location and path

Favourite - provide your service location and path

Links - provide your service location and path

Music - provide your service location and path

Pictures - provide your service location and path

Searches - provide your service location and path

Start menu - provide your service location and path

Videos - provide your service location and path

 

Link this GPO to your Test OU and check the result

Edited March 6, 2018 by techy32

[quietkindofrebel]

Hi Thanks for that I will have a closer look at the GPO's (a new adventure itself...). I just had a thought may be a terrible idea but would it be possible to rename the new server to the old file servers name and give it the same IP to get it to work by essentially taking its identity?

[djm968]

Check security and permissions on the new profile share. Compare with the old server share if necessary.

[Rob_D]

Hi Thanks for that I will have a closer look at the GPO's (a new adventure itself...). I just had a thought may be a terrible idea but would it be possible to rename the new server to the old file servers name and give it the same IP to get it to work by essentially taking its identity?

 

This is kind of what we did during our (far to many) file server moves.

What we did was set up a DNS alias, in our case called FS, and point it at the old file server. Redirected all the shared to that (so \\fs\MyShare). Then when you're ready to move over, you just change the DNS forwarder to point to the new server.

 

In your case, you could use a DNS alias to make the old server name point to the new one. As long as you don't turn the old server back on.

[quietkindofrebel]

Thanks apur32, our set up is the same. Brilliant I will shift this over at the next school holiday when users aren't on the network and I can play around with time to fix encase I royally mess up!

[Sephiroth]

We use a DFS Namespace for this purpose. We simply remove the old server and add the new server to the Namespace. Nothing needs changing, policy-wise.

 

I appreciate that this won't help you now, but may be something to consider when you've finished this migration and had some time to look at the policies.

Edited March 6, 2018 by Sephiroth
Fat fingers...

[techy32]

Playing on a test environment will give you the confidence that you can do it. You can use free oracle virtual box or even on windows 10 Hyper V...

 

Create a domain controller

create a file server

 

two clients....and then you are ready to go.......