Server replacement

[djones]

I am about to build a new server to replace a lone DC/File server. Initial thoughts are to build and join as member, promote to DC, transfer all roles and move shares setting up DFS in the process. Run the existing DC alongside until the Summer and then demote and remove from domain. This can then be rebuilt and reused (not sure if it will run R2 or not yet - haven't looked). What do you think?

 

Secondly, as this will be my first production 2008 R2 install, any 'must do' settings/steps that you have decided upon or found out the hard way?

 

Thanks,

 

Dave

[SYNACK]

Yes side by side operation like that is the best way to do it with the least hassle and most safety. Just make sure to upgrade the AD schema with ADprep before promoting the 2008 R2 server to a DC.

 

Setting wise it depends on your clients, we had to fix ome of the policies on our for point and print (machine policy) as when we moved our printers over the new server actually enforced them propperly blocking out driver install on the Win 7 machines untill the policy was fixed. The old server did not require it to be set at the machine level, only the user level.

[jonspurs]

Hey,

If we've a CC3 2003 and Win XP network and interested in vanilla 2008 and Win 7, what method would you choose (join a domain and promote server as above or totally new domain) and why?

Cheers,

Jon

[kmount]

Build afresh if you have a CC3 system would be my best advice as if / when you ditch them you shouldn't really be using their policies etc.

[jonspurs]

Thanks for the reply.

The thing is, with RM, everything is already locked down nicely. With vanilla, I'm guessing that setting GPOs to replicate the security would take a while to get right, but are there standard templates out there pre-configured?

 

Cheers

 

Jon

[jamesfed]

Have you considered virtulising your current server? It would save all the hassle of transferring everything over onto a new server (use the old OS) and when you want to upgrade to R2 you can use the 'snapshots' feature as your failsafe? Also it gives you the option to start splitting off all the roles of the server into separate OSes for a little more stability.