Migrate to new SCCM 2007 server: Side-by-side or Backup/Restore?
Hello! We are currently running an SCCM 2007 R2 SP1 on a 2008 server. We have 13 secondary sites under it. We'd like to upgrade to a 2008R2 box with SCCM 2007SP2. I've seen reports of people having success with two methods: 1. Build a new server with 2008R2/2007SP2 with a new name. Add this as a Secondary site to the existing heirarchy. Then, let all settings flow down to the new server. Move boundaries from old server to new server, and eventually promote new server as Primary site server and remove the old. (Details are a bit fuzzy here). My concern is about having a new name -- this means that we must direct all the clients to the new hostname? I could be mistaken here. 2. Build a new server with 2008R2/2007SP2 with the same name. Use the SCCM backup maintenance task to get a full backup. Then shut the old server down, restore backup on new server, and it should function the same. I am wondering if there is a preferred way to do this? The second method seems better to me since we get to keep the hostname and don't have to first install as a secondary site. Whichever way is preferred -- are there any good (and relatively detailed) guides on doing so? Thanks in advance!
July 13th, 2010 6:33pm

Number 2 is much less work and has better results. John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum |
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July 13th, 2010 6:43pm

Thanks for the reply! That was my impression as well. Is there a good how-to on how I can get full backups of everything? All of our packages are on a DFS-referenced fileshare, so that part should be just fine, but the rest I'm not quite as sure about. Thanks again!
July 13th, 2010 6:45pm

it's easy, just build the new server with the same drive letters, install paths and name as the old box. Take you SCCM backup and restore it. John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum |
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July 13th, 2010 6:49pm

Ok excellent. A few more details: I'm assuming I'll have to manually reinstall (and to some extent reconfigure?) any site services I've got on my primary? How do I get my secondary sites to show back up? Will that happen once I restore as well, and things start to communicate. Am I correct in thinking I can start SMS_SITE_BACKUP, get everything it outputs, and then use the Site Repair Wizard on the new server... that seems to be the backup/restore process? Thanks again!
July 13th, 2010 9:20pm

yes, just build a new server with SCCM configured just like the old one except change your OS version then restore the backup according the docs they will never know you replaced the server. (worst case I once had an issue where some got MP errors and I had to manually give them permissions to SQL) John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum |
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July 13th, 2010 9:42pm

So, as we plan to do this, I've got a basic process. Run full backup on old SCCM server (here called OldSCCM) Shut down and remove from AD Start up NewSCCM, join to AD (same hostname) [After this, should we remain 'live' on the network, or disconnect again?] Run SCCM install on NewSCCM, installing with same settings as previously. Reconfigure everything to match old settings [This is where I'm not sure if we need to go this far -- do I need to re set up, for example, all the client installation settings/boundaries/etc.? Or is that in the backup?] Site Repair Wizard with old files. Ensure all secondary sites start reporting in [Will this 'just happen' after we've done the Site Repair Wizard?] Thanks again! Cody
July 14th, 2010 9:29pm

You don't need to setup all the boundaries and such. Just get all the correct roles installed. Everything else looks good. Make sure your install path for SCCM does not change. Pretty much anything else can change but that can not. John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum |
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July 14th, 2010 9:36pm

Quick question around this process - what about the move from a 32-bit system to a 64-bit system - such as a migration from Server 2003 R2 to Server 2008 R2. In this case, I would assume we need to be careful to specify the exact same path for the "Program Files" directory, since the 32-bit program files directory will be "Program Files" on Server 2003 R2 and "Program Files (x86)" on Server 2008 R2. Thanks, AndrewAndrew Topp
August 5th, 2010 1:39am

Anytime you are restoring SCCM backup onto new hardware the install path on the old and new sites must match. That being said, I have never once installed SCCM on the C: drive so the default program files directory shouldn't matter unless you actually kept the default install path when you installed SCCM. I always use E:\SCCM (or E:\SMS for SMS 2003) John Marcum | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jmarcum |
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August 5th, 2010 3:50am

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