Demoted SBS 2003 in Server 2012 forest/domain?

[Thrasonic]

An associate of mine has a SBS 2003 setup at his office. Just one server and 7 PC's. He's purchased a new server and we have put Windows Server 2012 Standard on it with Exchange 2013 and made it a new forest/domain environment. The forest and domain functional levels are 2012.

What I need to know is if you can demote a SBS 2003 server so that it's just a member server and then join it to the 2012 domain? Or can it just be demoted and perhaps just sit there outside of the 2012 domain?

The reason we need to keep it around for a little while is because of some applications it has running on it. We don't need Exchange running on it as the new server will be doing that. So he either wants to add it to his new domain as a member server or just have it sitting out there all by itself, as a SBS 2003 DC or not, and still be accessible for the apps running on it.

Thoughts?

 

[ShackDaddy]

The main problem here is a licensing one. As long as the SBS box continues to hold the FSMO roles, it can stay online indefinitely. But once you move the roles to the new 2012 DC (like you'd have to do before demoting it), the SBS box will start shutting down automatically after 7 days due to licensing violations. On a licensing level, it's illegal to demote this server and keep it around, since it's intended to be the main server in an environment, not a cheap way to license an additional OS.

That being said, the technical means around it is detailed here, and it's especially helpful when the old server is running an LOB that can't be migrated to the new server:

http://www.jeremycole.com/blog/2008...ice-or-how-to-use-sbs2003-as-a-normal-server/

I find myself using this technique fairly regularly when trying to relieve the pressure of 3rd-party apps that don't do well on Windows 2012.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[goombawaho]

If you're not going to keep it around for an indefinite period of time, then I don't think it's a big deal to do what you have to do (as above) to keep it going. But, as a long term strategy it would violate the license and it's good to get everything onto the newer hardware.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[Thrasonic]

Great information guys. Thank you for the insight.

ShackDaddy - I'll check out the link. I appreciate the help.