Moving over to a new server

[Sonic007]

Hi,

 

I have been setting up a new server with VM's (domain controller, print server).

All the settings such as IP addresses, DHCP, etc are all the same as the old server.

I'm assuming I will just replace it and off it goes.

 

Is there anything I have forgotten when I switch them over?

 

Many thanks.

[3s-gtech]

A new host? How have you built it, side-by-side with the old one but with the same services? How are you migrating them, or is it complete replacement?

[Sonic007]

Completly built a new host. Not transferring anything from the old server.

[3s-gtech]

Okay. Do you have onsite DCs? Do you use iSCSI connections? Have you migrated any services like Entra Connect Sync?

[Sonic007]

Hi, Thankyou for your reply.

The current server at the moment runs two VM's. A domain controller / file server / print server on one and then a Sims Server on the other. We will be getting rid of the Sims Server.

The new server going in will have two VM's, One being the domain controller, and the other being a print server.

All IP settings for the domain server are the same as the old server.....so devices with static devices outside of DHCP range should be fine.

 

All machines on the domain will be re-imaged and join the new server.

[3s-gtech]

Oh wow, okay that's a major undertaking but credit to you for going in fresh. Many schools doing that now are going for cloud hosted instead.

 

I think you've hit the basics. How are you migrating any online services like M365/Google?

 

You want uptime and low maintenance - re-evaluate your backup strategies, consider having the old server online as a replica or spare host, and test everything twice!

[KK20]

I'm not 100% sure I have read what you are doing correctly.   Are you creating a brand new domain, or are you promoting a new DC then changing the IP later?  You can just add an additional IP if you like, even add a dns entry for the old server too (make sure you have demoted the old DC and shut it down first of course!)

[Davit2005]

TBH I'd contemplate separating the DCs from the File and print services. Much easier to spin up a new DC, migrate roles etc. than having to rebuild a Print/File Server

[Sonic007]

So here is an update:

 

I've built a dedicated Print server VM so that the domain controller no longer handles printing.

 

File server is gone. We are now going to just have everything in our Google Drives. No need for a Sims Server as have moved to Arbor in the cloud.

 

So, setting up the new server as one VM domain controller, and one VM print server.

IP range, dhcp settings, etc all the same as the old server so I'm assuming it will just be take the old one out, new one in, done.

Obviously will have to join client machines to new domain, but they will be re-imaged anyway.

[supportman]

36 minutes ago, Sonic007 said:

So here is an update:

 

I've built a dedicated Print server VM so that the domain controller no longer handles printing.

 

File server is gone. We are now going to just have everything in our Google Drives. No need for a Sims Server as have moved to Arbor in the cloud.

 

So, setting up the new server as one VM domain controller, and one VM print server.

IP range, dhcp settings, etc all the same as the old server so I'm assuming it will just be take the old one out, new one in, done.

Obviously will have to join client machines to new domain, but they will be re-imaged anyway.

I'd recommend moving to cloud printing as well. We moved to Kyocera cloud print last year and its been marvelous. Just requires a small client app on the endpoints and has SSO so works very well.

 

Basically no more print server!

[KK20]

On 27/04/2026 at 13:25, Sonic007 said:

So here is an update:

 

I've built a dedicated Print server VM so that the domain controller no longer handles printing.

 

File server is gone. We are now going to just have everything in our Google Drives. No need for a Sims Server as have moved to Arbor in the cloud.

 

So, setting up the new server as one VM domain controller, and one VM print server.

IP range, dhcp settings, etc all the same as the old server so I'm assuming it will just be take the old one out, new one in, done.

Obviously will have to join client machines to new domain, but they will be re-imaged anyway.

Just to be absolutely sure, you are creating a brand new domain that happens to have the same name as the old domain?  If you are currently running 365 hybrid then you will need to hard link the accounts and mail enabled groups from your "new domain objects" to the existing 365 accounts/Mail enabled groups?  You will have to wade through 365 machine accounts and possibly old group accounts.  

 

Keep us informed how you get on, this is a pretty gutsy undertaking.

[Sonic007]

Thnankyou for your reply KK20. This is correct. A new server with same name, IP settings, everything, the same.

We are a google GSuite school and dont use Microsoft accounts so won't need to worry about that thankfully.

[DavR]

On 27/04/2026 at 13:25, Sonic007 said:

Obviously will have to join client machines to new domain, but they will be re-imaged anyway

 

If you're running WDS or some other server based imaging solution, I'd spin up a VM for that as well, unless you're restricted by licensing (IIRC, Server Standard license only allows you two VMs per host). You ideally want a minimum of functions running on the DC VM.