Hello,
I'm currently working on a plan to migrate a virtual infrastructure for a customer (to a new virtual platform), where the domain is built upon Windows Essential Business Server 2008.
I need some assistance working out the best way to approach the migration.
Currently there is a DC VM, which hosts the following FSMO roles:
Domain Naming Master, PDC
The WEBS admin console is installed on the DC, along with 100 WEBS Premium CAL's, and500 TS User CAL's.
The server acts as Licensing Server for the RDS farm that exists within the domain.
The server also serves user My Docs via a folder redirection GPO, whilst they are logged on to the RDS farm.
The Messaging Server VM runs Exchange 2007 and is also a DC.
The following roles are hosted on the server: Schema Master, Infrastructure master, RID Pool Manager
There are also a couple of application VM servers that appear to be built on on Windows Server 2008 Standard rather than WEBS.
In an ideal world, I would like to perform an out of hours V2V conversion of the DC servers and bring them up in the new VMware environment without making any changes to the servers. However I'm pretty sure this will not work based on what I've read thus far about DC VM conversions....
I'm fairly sure at this point that I will need to build at least one new DC in the new environment, transfer the FSMO roles to it and then migrate the other services one by one (if possible).
My ideal plan would look something like the following:
- Build two DC's in the new Vmware environment (Built upon Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard)
- Transfer the FSMO roles from the current DC's to the new DC's.
- Remove the WEBS software from the Exchange Server using the WEBS Migration Preparation Tool.
- Demote the Exchange Server, and perform a cold VM conversion.
- Bring the Exchange server online in the new VMware environment.
- Demote the original DC, but leave the WEBS software installed.***
- Perform a cold migration, and bring the server back online in the new environment.
- Convert the application servers, and bring them online in online in the new environment.
***At this point I have no idea if the licenses (both TS and WEBS CAL's) are transferable to a non WEBS server?
Would the licenses be valid and/or accessible on the "old" DC once the WEBS admin console was removed?
If all of the WEBS servers are retired, do all of the CAL's become redundant, and new non-WEBS CAL's need to be installed?
If anyone can assist with this potential minefield of a migration, then any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Matt
Matt