DHCP on additional 2008 DC on SBS 2003 domain prior to FSMO seize 1

[DanielUK]

I have a small network of 17 PCs and an SBS 2003 server (no Exchange) with two additonal Windows 2008 Standard (version 1) domain controllers. The SBS server is being upgraded to 2008 Standard like the other servers. I'm planning on removing the SBS Server from the network and seizing the FSMO roles onto one of the 2008 servers. All this is straightforward enough.

I have a question on DHCP though. I have quite a lot of reservations in DHCP and I'd rather not manually recreate them on the server that will eventually be responsible for DHCP once the SBS server is removed. I know that DHCP is meant to only run on the SBS server while it exists in the domain but is there anything stopping me exporting the DHCP database, adding the DHCP role on the 2008 server and importing the database into it BUT NOT authorising it? So, when I eventually remove the SBS server I can then quicly authorize the DHCP and it will act exactly as the SBS server did.

Thanks

Dan

 

[ShackDaddy]

Actually, you're wrong about DHCP needing to live on SBS. There's no reason why you can't export the database and import it onto a new server, and authorize the new server. Then you'd disable the DHCP service on the SBS server. I've done several of these migrations in which I took several weeks to transition, and I moved DHCP during the first week and never had any issues.

Additionally, you can just transfer the FSMO roles to a new server, you don't have to seize them. As long as you DCPROMO the SBS box down within 7 days of doing that, you won't have any consequences. And if you need more than 7 days, you can download a fix to allow that:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=4116

Check out this article as well:

http://blogs.technet.com/b/infratal...siness-server-to-standard-windows-server.aspx

Let us know if you have any more questions/concerns.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks Dave, more graceful than I imagined! That last link is really useful too. I was going to seize the roles as a result of reading a post you made back in 2009:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1529099

but since even 7 days is ample time then I'll transfer them.

Dan

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, if I could rewrite that 2009 post, I would say "transfer the FSMO roles, DCPROMO down the old server, and remove it from the network." Ah, what clarity the years bring...

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[cmeagan656]

@ShackDaddy You can red flag that post and ask the moderators to edit the post for you. Just tell them wheat you'd like the post to read.

Hope this helps.

Please help us help you. Read Tek-Tips posting polices before posting.
Canadian members check out Tek-Tips in Canada for socializing, networking, and anything non-technical.

 

[DanielUK]

I reckon Dave likes Shredded Wheat but not sure if that's only available in the UK?

 

[ShackDaddy]

You reckon correctly, and it's widely available, if not widely popular, here in the States.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[DanielUK]

Hi again, another quick question on this.

I now have a successfully migrated DHCP database from the 2003 SBS server to one of the 2008 Servers. As I type, both (identical) DHCP services are authorised -is this bad? I was going to unaithorise the SBS DHCP service but want to make sure that once I do that, clients will(should?) immediately pick up the allocation from the Windows 2008 server?

Thanks!

Dan

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes. I normally disable the DHCP server service on the old box as soon as it's running on the new one. No compelling reason to deauthorize the old server, but I would take it offline. The clients won't have any issues--when they renew their leases, the new server will already have their current leases in its table.

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks again Shackdaddy,

Unusually, I came in this morning to stop the SBS 2003 DHCP service and find the only DHCP service now running is the one on the 2008 Standard server, the one on the 2003 box has disappeared. As I haven't touched anything I'm wondering if somehow the 2008 DHCP installation is/was able to turn it off? Maybe I missed a checkbox or something! Anyway, the upshot of this is there is only one DHCP service running now.