Community Connect migration to Windows 2008 R2

[solidstatesurvivor]

Has anyone got a checklist of things to "sort" whilst doing a migration from CC3 to a vanilla network based around 2K8R2. I'm also interested in knowing what others have replaced i.e. RM Auditor, Tutor, PCOunter etc, with native tools or others, free or not-so-free?

[psydii]

Never done it. However I did once spend some quality time nosing around CC3 and my gut feeling is this:

 

Unless you really know CC3 very intimately it is surely better to start from a clean new known configuration. Build a new domain, migrate users and data into it, build your OU and GPOs from scratch. Unpicking Windows out of CC3 will just leave you tripping over nasty surprises for years.

 

What you build should be a response to the answers of the following question: What do your users want to do? What tools did they make use of in the CC3 domain? What were their frustrations? How are you going to achieve the manageability that CC3 provided you?

 

HTH.

[solidstatesurvivor]

OK, new forest already decided on. What I was really after was how we move users to the new stuff/client builds and how we replace the functionality in CC3. What have others done?

[AngryTechnician]

I migrated from CC3 to 2008 R2 last summer. I don't have a checklist as such as it was a phased migration that started a year in advance, but I can offer some advice. You should also have a look through the last thread I can remember on this here: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/how-do-you-do/64000-move-cc3-vanilla.html. There are probably others too if you have a search.

 

Although simpler, you do not need to start from scratch - you can create a new OU structure right now in your current domain, with it's own GPOs, simply by disabling inheritance. When the time comes you will need to think about profile locations, unless you currently only use XP and will be using Vista/7 in future as the two can coexist in the same network profile location due to using separate subfolders.

 

We didn't use RM Auditor, but I would suggest something like Lansweeper or Spiceworks could replace it. Pcounter can be used with non-RM networks, or you could look at PaperCut. To replace RM Tutor we used AB Tutor.

 

If you have any specific questions such as "CC3 does X, how you did you replace it", fire away.

Edited May 3, 2011 by AngryTechnician

[solidstatesurvivor]

Thanks that's very useful

[AngryTechnician]

If you are set on a new forest and want to migrate user accounts (i.e. keep their passwords), you will need the Active Directory Migration Tool and its associated tools and documentation. I did this a few years ago at another school and it's not the simplest procedure in the world, but it works.

[solidstatesurvivor]

Yeah, quite experienced around the ADMT/PES stuff, just need to know about replacing GPOs maybe i.e. how we analyse what's there and replace with "native" GPOs - any advice? Your post covering the utilities replacement is very useful.

[AngryTechnician]

Oh, just remembered: replacing the package manager. You will definitely want to use WSUS even if only for updates. To install software, you could use Group Policy Software Installation for anything that installs by .msi. I also recommend looking into Local Update Publisher as this can publish both .msi and .exe installer into WSUS. Edited May 3, 2011 by AngryTechnician

[AngryTechnician]

Yeah, quite experienced around the ADMT/PES stuff, just need to know about replacing GPOs maybe i.e. how we analyse what's there and replace with "native" GPOs - any advice?

 

Having managed a vanilla domain in a school before I pretty much knew what I needed. Really it was just a case of going through each Group Policy setting and deciding whether I needed to configure anything for it. Painstaking, but effective. I don't have a particularly sprawling GPO setup to be honest, and the first few weeks was spent making tweaks here and there as pupils found the little holes I'd left.

[chaos]

I migrated from CC3 to 2008 R2 last summer. I don't have a checklist as such as it was a phased migration that started a year in advance, but I can offer some advice.

 

Hi,

Were you able to introduce a Windows 2008 R2 domain controller into the domain whilst CC3 was still running?

Or is it necessary to go vanilla first (within the domain) and then upgrade the schema and introduce new DCs?

Thanks

Mark

[AngryTechnician]

I did not add the new DC until I had started the final stage of the migration. I did add technically the new DCs before going vanilla, but only a few days beforehand so I couldn't tell you whether CC3 would have worked flawlessly in this configuration or not.

 

For what it's worth, I did not upgrade the schema until well after the new DCs were introduced.

[chaos]

Great thanks for replying.

I think I probably ought to wait until CC3 is out of the way first before putting 2008 R2 DCs in there so clients don't accidentally log onto a non-CC3 server. Which unfortunately means there would actually be a little less time to test and fix things out on the upgraded domain.

Unless we were to temporarily create a new AD Site as well as the new non-RM GPO inheriting OU structure and therefore ensure RM clients always logged onto an RM-integrated DC?

Could work I expect.

Mark

[AngryTechnician]

To be honest there's not that much client-side that you couldn't test just with a non-inheriting OU in the existing AD and on the existing servers. That's how I did it. I had about 30 vanilla clients running off of just CC3 DCs for about 6 months.