Windows Small Business Server 2003 to Windows Small Business Server 2008

• Background

Mark Hamsher has happily been using Microsoft SBS 2003 for the last 4-5 years but recently had issues with failing hard drives. Support Tree recommended that the server should be upgraded to take advantage of more reliable hardware and the benefits and greater processing capacity of 64 bit processing provided by MS SBS 2008

• Challenge: Migration Difficulties

It was not an option to simply replace their Small Business Server, as this would require all their remote users to have their laptops updated to link to the replacement Small Business Server. Also there was the question of migrating all the user info and email seamlessly to a new Small Business Server when both the old and new server had to share the same name.

• Solution

Support Tree carried out a procedure called a “swing migration” outside of normal business hours. The active directory on the original server was first of all cleaned up. A virtual “middle man” server was configured using VMWare and this was linked to the old Small Business Server. All of the user information, email and data were replicated onto this middle man server. The “middle man” server was disconnected from the network and the old server data removed from the active directory which was also pre-upgraded to the Windows 2008 version of active directory all of this information was replicated onto the new Small Business Server with the same name as the old server. As soon as all the information had been replicated, all of the applications had to be configured to work on the new server in the same way they had worked on the old server. The emails were now migrated to the “middle man” server and from there migrated to the Windows 2008 Small Business Server.

Once the migration had been completed we tested all aspects of the configuration.

When users logged in the following business day they were able to work away as though nothing had happened. Of course now the server has more reliable and faster hardware and faster, more secure Windows software

Following on from the server migration a full audit of data storage was carried out to ensure that all of the users data was being captured by the backup system. This involved the redirection of desktop & My Document folders. We ensured that the default locations in all applications were set and controlled via group policies.

• Technologies Used

HP Proliant ML380, Microsoft Small Business Server 2008, VMWare Workstation