Hi all, I am hoping to get some support on this. At the moment we have a server running Windows Server 2012 R2 on a pretty old machine, it isn't even a real server it was a PC that has been turned into a Server!

It is starting to get a bit older and BSOD'ing due to hardware related problems so I believe that now is a good time to upgrade! 

We are going to be purchasing a Dell Poweredge T110 II and moving everything across. I have never actually performed a migration before so I am a little concerned about what is the best way to do it?

We are keeping Windows Server 2012 R2 so I can reinstall that on the new server if necessary and then move everything across?

There are only about 10 users and 300GB of data. The server has the following functions:

- Active Directory
- DNS
- DHCP
- File Sharing/Network Shares
- Group Policy etc
- Print Sharing

My first thought was to use Windows Server Backup and do a bare metal backup and restore it to the new server but somehow I don't think this is the best way to go about doing what I want to do.

Can someone point me in the right direction to migrate everything across?

The old Server is still fully functional at the moment just incase that is important on the way this is done.

Thanks muchly! 

Hi

 First of all,File sharing role run on a DC is not right configuration,i recommend you configure file sharing another member server,

Maybe this topology is pratical for your environment;If you install Windows Server 2012 r2 Standard on Physcial server,you could install 2 virtual server with lincence on hyper-v role.

- Install Windows Server 2012 r2 on pyhscial server,(i guess you have standard edition)

- Confgure Hyper-v role on this physcial.

- Install server 2012 r2 and add as an Additional Domain Controller;(VM)

Server 2012 r2 ADC;

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj574134.aspx

- Then Transfer fsmo roles to this new server 2012 r2

transfer fsmo roles;

https://www.interworks.com/blogs/ijahanshahi/2014/01/20/transferring-fsmo-roles-another-active-directory-controller

- Migrate DHCP to this new server.

- And install another server 2012 r2 and add domain as an member server then migrate file shares from old server to this new server.(VM)You could migrate using ROBOCOPY,

Robocopy;

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733145.aspx

Also configure print share on this member server.

- Finaly demote this old server from domain and will do a metadata cleanup.

Metadata cleanup;

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816907(v=ws.10).aspx

Also make sure AD DS,DNS,AD site and services,DFS records updated.

I am not in a position to start configuring Hyper-V, multiple visualized servers etc. 

The idea is for me to make this as easy as possible so that there is very little that can go wrong! 

Like I said there are about 10 users tops, usually only 2 or 3 on at any one time.

I just simply want to move everything over/migrate everything in the best way possible.

• Edited by David Ashcroft 14 hours 2 minutes ago

Agree, the AD/DNS role should run by itself on a single physical or virtual server. Also best to always have to DCs for redundancy. That being said;

For the AD/DNS migration you can follow along here.

http://blogs.msmvps.com/mweber/2012/07/27/upgrading-an-active-directory-domain-from-windows-server-2008-or-windows-server-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/

DHCP migration here.

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn495425.aspx

File / Storage

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn479284.aspx

Print

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj134150.aspx