New NT Box for old!

[magicka]

Hello everyone!!

I am an IT Manager with a firm of Lawyers in the UK with five office WAN (6 NT Servers, 100 + Workstations).

We are a compaq site but have one old AST Manhattan Server (Pentium Pro) which needs replacing. I have the replacement (Compaq ML 350) but it has been running in another office and domain for a year. I have moved it physically so now I need to work out a migration procedure.

The current server has NT Server 4 (SP6a) with Exchange 5.5 and is a file and print server using TCPIP.

What I think I need to do is to set up the new server as a Backup Domain Controller, copy all the data and set up the back office applications. However I think I must first reinstall NT Server 4.0 on the new server as its role is as a member server where I need it to be a BDC., Is this correct or is there another way to change its role without reinstalling the OS (I hope there is as I dont want to have to set up the RAID 1 again and all the other set up bits and pieces).

Secondly how do I migrate the Exchange Database from the current server to the new server? There are some tools as I understand it but this is my first migration. (I have three MCP qualifications and four years as a Network Manager but most of that time has been spent administering already set up servers, however I want to learn the set up of servers too!).

Thirdly is this the best way to go about replacing a tired server? I came up with the idea as I know that the SAM database will be synchronised with a BDC anyway so I thought this made sense.

Sorry to be such a newbie!!

Many thanks

Chris G

 

[davewright100]

Hi Chris,

There are a few issues here:

1) Changing from member server to BDC
Officially, you will need to rebuild...
However, search for upromote.exe this nifty little app (about $99) will change a server from member to BDC quickly and easily.

2) the easiest way to do this (as you need to install exchange 5.5) it to build your new server into the same site (an option when you install exchange) then move the mailboxes (within exchange admin) & all tasks (also from within exchange admin)

3) The SAM is synch'ed with the PDC on a regular basis and when you get the new bdc working, it will synch with the PDC as well.

Hope this helps

Dave

 

[magicka]

Thanks for that Dave - I will explore the avenues you suggest.

The only real problem I can see is that whilst I install the applications the new server (assuming I have made it a BDC successfully) it will need to have a different name to the existing PDC. However it must eventually be named the same when it replaces the old one otherwise I am going to have to toothcomb all applications that relate to accross the WAN (our Practice Management Software which runs at another site accross a WAN link so this server is referenced from there in named pipes in an SQL environment not to mention exchange at the main site for the MTA etc) and change accordingly.

Is it permissable to change a servers name at the end of setting it and its applications up? Will the name be inherited to all the installed applications?

Many thanks

Chris