Migrating from SBS 2003 to Server 2008 and Exchange 2007

I need to migrate an existing SBS 2003 system to a new Windows Server 2008
box, which will also be running Exchange 2007. As I will not be retaining
any of the 2003 software I would prefer to avoid the expense of the
Transition Pack for SBS. I have read some conflicting / confusing advice on
the best route for making this transition - here is the process as I
understand it but I would appreciate any comments, particularly if I have
missed something obvious.

My plan is:
* Add the new 2008 server as a member server in the existing SBS 2003 domain.
* Run adprep on the SBS to update the AD schema.
* Promote the 2008 box to being an additional Domain Controller. I believe
that I have to do this before installing Exchange otherwise the promotion to
DC breaks Exchange.
* Install Exchange 2007 on the Server 2008 box and add to the domain.
* Move data to the new server.
* Transition mailboxes to the new server.
* Move group policies etc. to 2008 server.
* Transition FSMO roles from SBS 2003 to 2008 server.
* Remove SBS 2003 server from domain.

Does this plan look anything like sensible, or have I missed anything
important? Any help or comments much appreciated.

Thanks,
Paul

Hello Paul,

It is and was not recommended to install exchange on Domain controllers,
especially Exchange 2007 should not run on DC's. Also you can not just move/transfer
roles from a SBS server to another domain controller, as SBS server MUST
have the 5 FSMO roles, that is by design. Also make sure that you have NO
single lable domain name like DOMAIN, you have the need for DOMAIN.LOCAL
when installing Exchange 2007.

I strongly recommend to post this to:
microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> I need to migrate an existing SBS 2003 system to a new Windows Server
> 2008 box, which will also be running Exchange 2007. As I will not be
> retaining any of the 2003 software I would prefer to avoid the expense
> of the Transition Pack for SBS. I have read some conflicting /
> confusing advice on the best route for making this transition - here
> is the process as I understand it but I would appreciate any comments,
> particularly if I have missed something obvious.
>
> My plan is:
> * Add the new 2008 server as a member server in the existing SBS 2003
> domain.
> * Run adprep on the SBS to update the AD schema.
> * Promote the 2008 box to being an additional Domain Controller. I
> believe
> that I have to do this before installing Exchange otherwise the
> promotion to
> DC breaks Exchange.
> * Install Exchange 2007 on the Server 2008 box and add to the domain.
> * Move data to the new server.
> * Transition mailboxes to the new server.
> * Move group policies etc. to 2008 server.
> * Transition FSMO roles from SBS 2003 to 2008 server.
> * Remove SBS 2003 server from domain.
> Does this plan look anything like sensible, or have I missed anything
> important? Any help or comments much appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Paul

Thanks for the reply Meinolf. I am slightly confused by the Exchange on a DC
issue as I thought that this was a configuration that is supported by
Microsoft, and presumably SBS 2008 is exactly that. What are the drawbacks?

In terms of FSMO roles, I understand that an SBS machine will not run
without these roles - in fact I have read is that SBS 2003 will reboot every
hour if it finds itself without those roles. For that reason I was planning
to make the transfer of those roles the very final step before removing the
SBS machine completely from the domain and then decommissioning it totally.
Will that work?

Many thanks,
Paul

"Meinolf Weber" wrote:

> Hello Paul,
>
> It is and was not recommended to install exchange on Domain controllers,
> especially Exchange 2007 should not run on DC's. Also you can not just move/transfer
> roles from a SBS server to another domain controller, as SBS server MUST
> have the 5 FSMO roles, that is by design. Also make sure that you have NO
> single lable domain name like DOMAIN, you have the need for DOMAIN.LOCAL
> when installing Exchange 2007.
>
> I strongly recommend to post this to:
> microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
>

Hello Paul,

In your first posting you mentioned server 2008 and not SBS 2008. SBS versions
of windows are alway different then the other server versions.

Again, especially changing from sbs 2003 to sbs 2008 use the NG from my previous
posting, there you find the experts.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Thanks for the reply Meinolf. I am slightly confused by the Exchange
> on a DC issue as I thought that this was a configuration that is
> supported by Microsoft, and presumably SBS 2008 is exactly that. What
> are the drawbacks?
>
> In terms of FSMO roles, I understand that an SBS machine will not run
> without these roles - in fact I have read is that SBS 2003 will reboot
> every hour if it finds itself without those roles. For that reason I
> was planning to make the transfer of those roles the very final step
> before removing the SBS machine completely from the domain and then
> decommissioning it totally. Will that work?
>
> Many thanks,
> Paul
> "Meinolf Weber" wrote:
>
>> Hello Paul,
>>
>> It is and was not recommended to install exchange on Domain
>> controllers, especially Exchange 2007 should not run on DC's. Also
>> you can not just move/transfer roles from a SBS server to another
>> domain controller, as SBS server MUST have the 5 FSMO roles, that is
>> by design. Also make sure that you have NO single lable domain name
>> like DOMAIN, you have the need for DOMAIN.LOCAL when installing
>> Exchange 2007.
>>
>> I strongly recommend to post this to:
>> microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs
>> Best regards
>>
>> Meinolf Weber
>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
>> confers
>> no rights.
>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

Apologies, my last post was not clear. I am upgrading from SBS 2003 to
Windows Server Standard 2008 and Exchange 2007, not to SBS 2008. What I was
trying to ask was why it is such a bad idea to run Exchange 2007 on the DC.

I have also cross-posted to the SBS group.

Thanks,
Paul

"Meinolf Weber" wrote:

> Hello Paul,
>
> In your first posting you mentioned server 2008 and not SBS 2008. SBS versions
> of windows are alway different then the other server versions.
>
> Again, especially changing from sbs 2003 to sbs 2008 use the NG from my previous
> posting, there you find the experts.
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber

Hello Paul,

Scroll down to "Installing Exchange 2007 on Directory Servers":
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...EXCHG.80).aspx

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Apologies, my last post was not clear. I am upgrading from SBS 2003
> to Windows Server Standard 2008 and Exchange 2007, not to SBS 2008.
> What I was trying to ask was why it is such a bad idea to run Exchange
> 2007 on the DC.
>
> I have also cross-posted to the SBS group.
>
> Thanks,
> Paul
> "Meinolf Weber" wrote:
>
>> Hello Paul,
>>
>> In your first posting you mentioned server 2008 and not SBS 2008. SBS
>> versions of windows are alway different then the other server
>> versions.
>>
>> Again, especially changing from sbs 2003 to sbs 2008 use the NG from
>> my previous posting, there you find the experts.
>>
>> Best regards
>>
>> Meinolf Weber
>>