Upgrading Domain Controllers

[NetworkNinja]

We currently have 2 physical domain controllers running windows server 2008r2. It has been suggested to do an in place upgrade on these to windows server 2012 and then to windows server 2016.

 

Just wondering if anyone has had any issues doing this. Our main domain controller is also our file server.

 

Thanks in advance.

[mrbios]

Create new DCs and just promote and demote, move roles across. They're easier than most other servers for creating new and moving across, and while in-place upgrades are possible, they're more of a last resort than a recommendation.

[timbo343]

As been suggested, its best to do a clean install however i have been lazy and done 2012r2 to 2016 on all ours and 2016 to 2019 on 2 of the 5.

[NetworkNinja]

As been suggested, its best to do a clean install however i have been lazy and done 2012r2 to 2016 on all ours and 2016 to 2019 on 2 of the 5.

I know it's always best to do a clean install but both of our domain controllers are physical machines with all data on for our end users. If possible I would much rather just do an in place upgrade.

[Roberto]

To be honest, mixing roles between file server and DC bothers me far more than in-place upgrades on otherwise perfectly working DCs (not that this is ideal...), but you play the cards you’ve got in your hand.

 

Anyway, backup first, obviously, and when you upgrade to 2016 you may find the netlgon service isn’t running and will need to be set to automatic start before things settle down. This is obviously going to stop the DCs functioning correctly until it’s fixed, so only do one at a time unless you enjoy nothing working at all on your network.

[timbo343]

As @Roberto says, we got hit with the netlogon and time server issue and it was the smoothwall and our Home Access System that actually notified me of this - i didnt know about this at the time.

 

One netlogon was set to automatic and started as well as the time server, the smoothwall and the Home Access System reported all services on all DNS / DCs ok and the user groups were working fine.

Edited February 10, 2019 by timbo343

[free780]

Also be aware if you are still using FRS. Server 2016 is the last server version to support this. You can migrate to DFS quite easily.

[Fazza]

As others have said, the best way it migration and an in-place upgrade is the last resort if nothing else works.

[timbo343]

You also might want to run what's on this web page as i keep getting the annoying notifications on our servers until i carried out the MUSNOTIFICATION fix.

 

https://winaero.com/blog/disable-updates-available-windows-10/