Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2012 R2

[dibekem]

Hi guys.

I have a server that runs on Windows Server 2008 R2 which is due to expire in 2020.How straight forward is to upgrade the server to Windows Server 2012 R2?Can I try and run the upgrade to see whether it will be able to install the software? Will I able to cancel it? Or is there a test tool I can use for this?This server is the only server in the school so everything runs on it.Thanks

[Bedders]

When you say "everything runs on it", it depends what roles that "everything" includes, and what your plans are for the future.

Similar topics have been asked on Reddit SysAdmin recently

and a lot of the advice there applies here, and has been written in a better way than I can manage!

[dibekem]

Hi there.

 

Thanks for you reply. I read the topic, good and bad so I'm more confused,lol

 

Its a small nursery school with 25 computers/laptops and about 28 users.

 

The server is a DC, DHCP server, Group policy,File server and runs the cloud backup software.

 

We are presenting different options to the school, the best would be to buy a new one but as we are presenting options I have to include this one if it works.

 

The server only has Windows Server 2012 R2 drivers available on the website and nothing newer so this would be a temporary solutions anyway.

[Bedders]

Your current server contains the Domain Controller role. Microsoft say not to upgrade a server hosting that, and to promote another one before demoting the old.

 

I'd advise getting a second physical server - nothing wrong with second hand ones off eBay, or I suspect if you were to contact Dave from ICT Direct, or someone from VeryPC, they could do you a good deal on something refurbished.

 

If you're going this route of migrating these roles over I'd suggest a Server 2019 license (don't know what that costs for Education these days) and set it up as a Hyper-V host on the new server. Windows Server 2019 Standard comes with licence to run the host OS and 2 virtual machines, so you could have one virtual server for DC/DHCP (and Active Directory/GPO management) and the second for your files & backup software.

 

Before doing all this - make sure you've got a reliable and tested way of backing up two physical machines and/or multiple virtual machines.

 

Then promote the virtual DC to a domain controller in your existing domain and transfer the FSMO roles over. Loads of stuff online on this.

 

Set up the virtual DC as a DNS with external forwarders too, same as existing.

 

Then move DHCP across (export on old ->import on new worked fine for me and was relatively simple with some Googling).

 

Once that's all done look at the second virtual server for files. Depending on how they have been set up (permissions, roaming profiles etc.) this could be a pain, but look to move it all over.

 

Hope this helps and gives you some thoughts, even if not a proper 'direction'

Edited July 15, 2019 by Bedders