Upgrading Process for Windows Server 2008

 Verify the new server’s TCP/IP configuration has been pointed to the current DNS server.

2. Make the new server become a member server of the current Windows Server 2003 domain first.

3. Upgrade the Windows Server 2003 forest schema to Windows Server 2008 schema with the “adprep /forestprep” command on old server.

 

Please run the “adprep.exe /forestprep” command from the Windows Server 2008 installation CD on the schema master. For example:

 

Drive:\CMPNENTS\R2\ADPREP\adprep.exe /forestprep

 

4. Upgrade the Windows 2003 domain schema with the “adprep /domainprep” command on old server.

 

Drive:\CMPNENTS\R2\ADPREP\adprep.exe /domainprep

 

5. Run “dcpromo” on new server to promote it as an additional domain controller in existing Windows 2003 domain, afterwards you may verify the installation of Active Directory.

 

6. Verify the new server’s TCP/IP configuration has been pointed to current DNS server.

 

7. Insert Windows Server 2008 Installation Disc in the new server.

 

8. Run “dcpromo” on new server to promote it as an additional domain controller in existing Windows 2003 domain.

 

9. Install DNS component on new server and configure it as a new DNS Server (Active Directory Integrated-Zone is preferred). All the DNS configuration should be replicated to the new DNS server with Active Directory Replication.

 

To gradually remove old windows server 2003 server, here is some extra steps we should do:

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1. Enable Global Catalog on new server and manually Check Replication Topology and afterwards manually trigger replication (Replicate Now) to synchronize Active Directory database between 2 replicas.

 

Please note: It will some time to replicate GC between DC, please wait some time with patience.

 

2. Disable Global Catalog on DC2.

 

3. Make all the clients change TCP/IP configuration to point to new server as DNS.

 

4. Transfer FSMO roles to the new server.

 

How to view and transfer FSMO roles

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801

 

5. Please check whether everything works normally with the new server. If so, you can run DCPROMO to demote old DC.

 

To migrate files to the new server:

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You can use Robocopy tool or FSMT to migrate files from old server to the new server with windows server 2008 without losing NTFS permissions.

 

More information about Robocopy:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/d4c6e8e9-fcb3-4a4a-9d04-2d8c367b63541033.mspx?mfr=true