Re: New Desktops AND new SBS 2003 R2 Install - Need Migration Help

Thanks so much, that helps a lot! I had not even thought of adding the
pseudo-server to the domain. Duuuhhhh!

1) Is XP better for any reason - just compatibility issues your trying to
spare me from dealing with??

2) In moving the My Documents folder from the Desktops to the Users Shared
Folder \user name folder via the wiz, are the files then deleted from the
orginal desktop altogether? All files are to move to the server for the
reasons you mentioned, but I was unsure if they needed to be on the new
desktops first for any reason. It seems to me it would be easier to add the
old desktops to the domain and get everyone working, then just go around and
swap out one new desktop at a time and not waste time configuring all the new
desktops to be workgroup functional, then domain functional.

3) Email will be hosted here. I ordered the static IP, but it will not be
functional until the 24th. In the interim it is a dynamic address. I have
the parameters of the Static address once it is activated though. I was
reading the MS SBS 20003 R2 Administrators Companion and it made mention of
being careful choosing your internal domain name. It suggestes to use your
internet domain .local. I never heard of this before. I just made one up
during my 2 trial installs. We have 2 companies here with 2 internet domain
names and the .net and .org sub domains for each as well. I wanted all the
email to come here, is this going to be an issue????


"Anna Clark" wrote:

Hi Catman:

Please see in line below: I am pretty sure I will have left something out,
so if you have questions, remove a much of this as you want and post your
question beneath whatever is un clear or incomplete:

--
Regards:

Anna Clark
-----
Please do post the conclusion or solution
to your issue so that others may benefit.


"Catman" <Catman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2DA11704-92C6-494F-970A-2A9172C86C77@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ok I have been reading in here for a while and have gone through 2 runs of
installing the SBS 2003 box, but have not added users to it yet because
everyone is always working. I need some clarifications before I continue.
Here is my scenario:

We have 6 Win 2000 PRO desktops in a workgroup with one of the desktops
acting as a pseudo-server for NOD32 Antivirus and our Accounting Software.

We purchased a new Server (SBS 2003 R2 not pre-installed) and 5 new
desktops
(I already loaded Vista Business on them, but I can revert to XP if
needed).

Internet and email are through a DHCP firewall/router to DSL.

People need to keep working while I attempt to make the transition (as
much
as possible). So here is my dilema and questions:

1) Do I need to tranfer all of the individual computer's files and
settings
to the new desktops before adding them to the new server or will adding
the
old computers to the new server first pull much of the files to the server
where I can then just switch to the new desktops after that????

This depends on where you want the files to end up. The My Documents folder
on each users desktop is re located to the Users Shared Folder/user name
when you run the backup wizard in Server Managment AFTER all the desktops
are connected. You could use a flash drive to copy them to the my documents
folder on the new desktops before running the wiz, or to the server folder
after running the wiz, or leave them on the desktop systems and never run
the wiz. (which I would strongly advise against, since the user shared
folder/user name provides off site storage AND shadow copies, which you will
come to love).

Be aware that the folders in User Shared, indeed the entire partition, will
have a 1 GB quota set for each user, so if your users have more files that
that you will either need to clear out the files or raise the quota.

2) Each time I have test installed the SBS 2003 R2 box I have had to
disable
the DHCP on the router and then we cannot use email or work in our
accounting
program, which is not good during the year end closing stuff!! Is there
another way to at least connect to the pseudo-server for accounting while
I
am setting up the SBS 2003 box?? Does Win 2000 PRO have a DHCP function
or
anyhthing?

You can leave the pseudo-server in place but I would join it to the domain.
Your call really, but you will need to recreate the users and password on
that box after all your users are joined to the domain.

For the DHCP and internet access, you really need to have a plan. The SBS
should be the only DNS server that anything on the LAN looks to, and it
should establish the DNS forwarders for your internet name resolution.
Running the CECIW sets all of this. So disable the DHCP on the router and
transfer the settings to the CEICW.

When you are done, every nic on you LAN should point to the SBS servers
internal nic for DNS, which you can do with static ip's, but it is easier to
let the servers DHCP do it.

Lastly the email. Please post back on how you plan to deal with email so
that someone can guide you. Best plan is to have a static or a dydns type
of ip address and have you ISP create a host, mx, and ptr record for your
domain.

3) I am still a little hazy (because I have not been able to do it yet) on
how things function differently once a user is pulled from the workgroup
to a
domain/server. If I add everyone at once, will they be able to find the
files that are scattered currently on the various workstations fiarly
easily
or will that require me to move everything logically (in other words, will
they be down for a day while I sort through the mess??).

Planing will also go a long way here. Having things scattered about with X
user names and X user passwords on each member of a workgroup is why
centrally managed domains were invented. (well, sort of). In any case,
perhaps you could create a share called "all the best files from our
workgroup" on the pseudo server and gradually transfer everything that is
shared into logical sub folders of that. I usually call such a share "DATA"
or "Compay Data". Then during the week before moving weekend you could :

Week 1:
-- get your ISP to agree to the necesary mail record changes (there is more
to this, but not critical, such as a smart host, and a few more little
things, like a backup store) or what ever email plan you will impliment.

-- Test the SBS connection to the interet and the CECIW on Sat or Sun, or
one evening, then put the workgroup back, knowing that the server is ready

During the week before the cut over, Week 2:
-- get the users accustomed to looking for shared stuff on the S (for
shared?) drive in the folder of your choice and map a drive to the S folder.
-- work with the users to consolidate their private stuff into their
existing my documents folders.
-- work with your accounting application vendor for how to migrate that.

And then on moving weekend
-- turn off the routers' DHCP
-- re run the CECIW if necessary
-- make sure the inet works from the server
-- join the new computers (xp will be better) to
http://servername/connectcomputer
-- create the share of the same name one the server
-- Copy the files from the pseudo server to the share
-- copy the files from the old workstations to the My Documents folder on
the new worksations.
-- do whatever your accounting vendor says is necessary to move to the new
server.

At this point the only thing that is lost is the old workstations connection
to the router, which if you document you should be able to put back in 10
minutes.

If all of the above works, wait a week and run the redirection portion of
the SBS Backup Wizard, move the old workstations to the back room, at your
leisure wipe the drives an donate them to the charity of your choice.




.

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