Change Servers

[KLewisBPM]

I am using sharepoint services 3.0 on a dedicated server as a document management system, unfortunately for me this is a test system turned LIVE. I wish to move the whole instance of sharepoint including the web app and the documents over to a new server however everywhere I have so far looked I seem to hit a dead end. I backed up the original site and did a restore into the new environment (using stsadm) I had set up, everything seemed to go through ok. when I navigated to the new site it was still only running the default install and not our new site.

Can I take a complete snapshot of the server and ghost it over?

Any ideas on this would great.

I just want to make an exact replica of my test environment!

KLewisBPM

 

[cjsj1]

Below are the steps that are required for your case as best i can see anyway. I have just done this 3 times last night in different companies and the only difference is that that i had to move to new SQL servers as well.

1. Backup the site with STSADM

2. Disconnect the site you are currently using with the SharePoint tools and configuration program (if you are connected to a SQL server or not)

3. On the new server run the same tool again but select to create a new site and go through the usual motions of setting it up, users, permissions, layouts and the like.

4. After this has been done check that you can access the new site from the LAN and outside if you let people view it from the Internet.

5. Use the STSADM tool again and do a restore. Restart the server (may not be required but i always do if i can as helps setup everything up)

6. You should be able to access the site as it was before you moved to the new server.


If i have got anything incorrect apologies but it has worked for me countless time before.


Christopher