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Migrate Windows Small Business Server 2003 to Windows Server Essentials

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Applies To: Windows Server 2016 Essentials, Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, Windows Server 2012 Essentials

This guide describes how to migrate an existing Windows SBS 2003 domain to Windows Server® 2012 Essentials on new hardware, and then to migrate the settings and data. This guide also describes how to remove your existing server from the Windows Server Essentials network after you finish the migration.

Important

Windows Server Essentials requires a 64-bit environment. Windows Server Essentials does not support a 32-bit environment.

Note

To avoid problems during migration, the Windows Server Essentials product development team strongly recommends that you read this document before you begin the migration.

Note

To migrate your server data to the latest version of Windows Server Essentials, see Migrate to Windows Server Essentials.

Additional resources

For links to additional information, tools, and community resources to help guide you through the migration process, visit the Windows Small Business Server Migration website.

Terms and definitions

Source Server: The existing server from which you are migrating your settings and data.

Destination Server: The new server to which you are migrating your settings and data.

Migration process summary

This Migration Guide includes the following steps:

  1. Prepare your Source Server for Windows Server Essentials migration. You must ensure that your Source Server and network are ready for migration. This section guides you through backing up the Source Server, evaluating the Source Server system health, installing the most recent service packs and fixes, and verifying the network configuration.

  2. Install Windows Server Essentials in migration mode. This section describes the steps you should take to install Windows Server Essentials on the Destination Server in migration mode.

  3. Join computers to the new Windows Server Essentials network. This section covers joining client computers to the new Windows Server Essentials network and updating Group Policy settings.

  4. Move SBS 2003 settings and data to the Destination Server. This section provides information about migrating data and settings from the Source Server.

  5. Enable folder redirection on the Windows Server Essentials Destination Server. If folder redirection is enabled on the Source Server, you can enable folder redirection on the Destination Server, and then delete the old Folder Redirection Group Policy setting.

  6. Demote and remove the Source Server from the new Windows Server Essentials network. Prior to removing the Source Server from the network, you must force a Group Policy update and demote the Source Server.

  7. Perform post-migration tasks for Windows Server Essentials migration. After you finish migrating all settings and data to Windows Server Essentials, you may want to map permitted computers to user accounts.

  8. Run the Windows Server Essentials Best Practices Analyzer. After you finish migrating settings and data to Windows Server Essentials, you should download and run the Windows Server Essentials BPA.

Several of the migration procedures require that you open a Command Prompt window as an administrator.

To open a Command Prompt window on the Source Server as an administrator

  1. Click Start.

  2. In the search box, type cmd.

  3. In the list of results, right-click cmd, and then click Run as administrator.

To open a Command Prompt window on the Destination Server as an administrator

  1. On the Start screen, in the search box, type cmd.

  2. In the list of results, right-click cmd, and then click Run as administrator.