1) Renaming Domain 2) Moving Exchange

T

TechieSooner

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
7,601
First portion: I need to rename my entire domain.


User accounts use an SID (I think that's the term... been awhile since MCSE) so even if the user account is named the same on the new domain, the SID is different, which results in a different account.


How do I move Active Directory to another domain controller?
I'll be formatting my current SBS 2003 box, and putting Server Standard (probably 2008) on it, and making that the new domain controller...




Plan is to bring on a couple more servers, pull Exchange off the SBS box onto its own server, and then format the SBS box to be Server Standard. Will be a complicated thing, but needs to be done.


Second part, is how do I pull Exchange off one server and move onto the other? I'm certain this probably goes back and relates to the domain renaming as well.
On my mind: making sure Global Address List gets updated, and obviously all mail internally can still flow. It has got to authenticate to the Domain Controller somehow as well, so was curious how that was taking place.


This almost has me to the point, where this is so complex, just scratching the whole thing and building from the ground up, but there HAS to be a way to do this.


Just a major change here, any help appreciated!

EDIT- And I guess also the suggestion of ORDER...
Which would you go?
1) Pull AD/Exchange off
2) Implement new servers
3) Domain rename

or

1) Domain rename
2) Pull AD/Exchange off
3) Implement new servers

???

Whichever would be easiest. For example the second group, I could do one weekend converting everything to the new domain, and then the next weekend I could then break everything off, back into their respectable servers... Whereas doing everything at once like the first group.
 
I don't have al the answers for you but checkout the Active Directory Migration Tool. It will allow you to migrate the suer accounts from one domain to another. It will create the accounts in the destination domain (with a new sid) but it will add the users source domain sid to the sid histroy oject. This will retain any access based on the users old sid.

I am not very familar with SBS but if you add a new exchange server to the org you can migrate the mailboxes. If you just create new mailbox even with the same e-mail all e-mails that are sent to a user using a reply to an old message will get a bounce back.
 
You can join the new 2008 server to the domain and promote to be a domain controller. Then move the schema, RID, FSMO, PDC Emulator roles to the new domain controller. That will take care of the domain crap and keep everything intact since it will replicate to the new server.

As for exchange, I don't think SBS will allow another Exchange server in the domain without some coaxing. If there aren't that many people you could just export everybody's mailbox to a local pst file and then just remove exchange from the domain and then install the Exchange 2007 server and then import the pst files back in. I am pretty sure there is a migration toolkit or something you can use to do this. I can't remember if MS released it of if I saw it somewhere else. A colleague of mine used it to move a client from SBS to separate 2003 standard servers with dedicated exchange. Can't remember what he called the product he got....

But, anyway, what you want to do is possible and you won't have to rebuild the domain from scratch or anything.
 
Swing Migration i think is what you want to research.

I tried it 1 time and had some problems, generally the networks are small enough where i can just backup data, backup the pst, and set up new server.

I think this is in regards to a few months back you had some questions and were hitting your 75 user limit.
 
Captain Colonoscopy said:
I am pretty sure there is a migration toolkit or something you can use to do this. I can't remember if MS released it of if I saw it somewhere else. A colleague of mine used it to move a client from SBS to separate 2003 standard servers with dedicated exchange. Can't remember what he called the product he got....
Click to expand...

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/sbs/techinfo/planning/transition.mspx
The Small Business Server Transition Pack
Basically removes the "all in 1" features of SBS....allowing you to treat each component individually now...spread them out...and grow beyond the 75 limit.

The "Swing It Migration" utility is a 3rd party utility which has different goals...it's more for moving your existing SBS install to a different server (say you wish to migrate to new hardware), it also allows you to install SBS into an existing active directory made up with existing standard servers...although Microsoft has their own document on doing this..which I used several times)
 
Captain Colonoscopy said:
You can join the new 2008 server to the domain and promote to be a domain controller. Then move the schema, RID, FSMO, PDC Emulator roles to the new domain controller. That will take care of the domain crap and keep everything intact since it will replicate to the new server.
Click to expand...
How would this work with SBS 2003? That came as a thought to me, but I don't think SBS 2003 will let another server become the domain controller, will it?

Captain Colonoscopy said:
If there aren't that many people you could just export everybody's mailbox to a local pst file and then just remove exchange from the domain and then install the Exchange 2007 server and then import the pst files back in
Click to expand...
I guess Exchange won't be that big of deal... As long as all the mail is heading to the same boxes in the end.
Question: How does Exchange relate to Active Directory? Is it the same as SBS in which when you create an object in AD on the DC, it also creates one over on the Exchange server? I've never really dealt with Exchange before.



YeOldeStonecat said:
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/sbs/techinfo/planning/transition.mspx
The Small Business Server Transition Pack
Basically removes the "all in 1" features of SBS....allowing you to treat each component individually now...spread them out...and grow beyond the 75 limit.
Click to expand...
Main question on that: Does it just convert my SBS box to Server Standard, or what exactly does it do???
I want to completely nix SBS and all of its limitations...
 
TechieSooner said:
Main question on that: Does it just convert my SBS box to Server Standard, or what exactly does it do???
I want to completely nix SBS and all of its limitations...
Click to expand...

It basically strips off the oddities/limitations of SBS....so you you have a vanilla Windows server with vanilla Exchange on it...no 75 user limit....each component is licensed separately..and now you can treat it like you would vanilla standard servers....
 
sbs 03 freaks out when you try to add server 08 DC to the domain(sbs doesn't support branch office DC's ect.), i wouldn't got down that road. my network traffic went nuts when i tried that. so don't do a dcpromo on it, get the transition pack makes it much smoother to do it .
 
TechieSooner said:
First portion: I need to rename my entire domain.
Click to expand...

Then you need to read these documents several times to understand how renaming a domain will affect your network, especially Exchange.


utshost said:
sbs 03 freaks out when you try to add server 08 DC to the domain(sbs doesn't support branch office DC's ect.), i wouldn't got down that road. my network traffic went nuts when i tried that. so don't do a dcpromo on it, get the transition pack makes it much smoother to do it .
Click to expand...

Then it was something you did wrong. SBS can support additional DCs and we have several clients using branch office DCs with SBS.
 
stormy1 said:
Why are you changing the domain name?
Click to expand...
Merger/Takeover reasons.

Also reminds me the server's NAME is based on the old company as well (not just a server01 or something)... so that'll be renamed too.

Keiichi said:
It'll convert it to a regular server. Once the transition pack is done doing it's thing, you will need to apply updates to it as a regular server.
A quick overview can be found here:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc719930.aspx
Click to expand...
Interesting.

Emailed my Dell rep- are they a reseller, otherwise how do I get this?

Seems like the wizard does everything for you.

What if I wanted to upgrade that to Server 2008? Would anyone here suggest Server 2008?

SJConsultant said:
Then you need to read these documents several times to understand how renaming a domain will affect your network, especially Exchange.
Click to expand...

So, all this taken into affect and assuming I am going to use the Transition Pack, would these be the suggested steps???

1) Rename domain and DC.
2) Assuming to remove/rejoin all workstations to new domain (Do I need to copy profile settings over- or will it stick with the same profile (C:\Documents and Settings\User))?
3) Transition Pack
4) Move Exchange to standalone server

If so, I could do #1 one weekend and then2-4 at another weekend- gives me more time.
 
SJConsultant said:
Then it was something you did wrong. SBS can support additional DCs and we have several clients using branch office DCs with SBS.
Click to expand...

hmm odd i could of swore i read something about that and sbs 03 and server 08.. o well i like not having sbs anymore anyways lol
 
utshost said:
well i like not having sbs anymore anyways lol
Click to expand...
Contract folks before I was hired got me into this SBS mess...

If a business has the possibility to grow- SBS sucks.

TechieSooner said:
1) Rename domain and DC.
2) Assuming to remove/rejoin all workstations to new domain (Do I need to copy profile settings over- or will it stick with the same profile (C:\Documents and Settings\User))?
3) Transition Pack
4) Move Exchange to standalone server
Click to expand...

Well, found this reading through those docs... Guess a domain rename would be the last thing I do...
To perform a domain rename operation, Exchange must not be installed on any domain controllers. If a domain controller is running Exchange, move the Exchange data off of the domain controller and uninstall Exchange.
Click to expand...
 
TechieSooner said:
Question: How does Exchange relate to Active Directory? Is it the same as SBS in which when you create an object in AD on the DC, it also creates one over on the Exchange server?
Click to expand...

Yup, it will prompt you about creating a mailbox.


If you are using admin pack on a remote computer, you will have to use the exchange cd and install the exchange tools in order for this to work.... and it won't work with vista.
 
Verge said:
You will have to use the exchange cd and install the exchange tools in order for this to work.... and it won't work with vista.
Click to expand...

That sounds slick. Right now I just RDP.
No plans for Vista... About the time Windows 7 comes around I may hop to Windows 7, but the logon script issue for me (the fact it doesn't work) has been too big a PITA for me to go to Vista. Love Vista though.



Big question at this point: Would a server rename be too big of deal in the midst of all this other stuff?
 
utshost said:
sbs 03 freaks out when you try to add server (sbs doesn't support branch office DC's ect.),.
Click to expand...

This is NOT true. I have quite a few SBS setups with additional DCs..including branch offices. It does it.and it does it well.
 
TechieSooner said:
Big question at this point: Would a server rename be too big of deal in the midst of all this other stuff?
Click to expand...

I did a domain rename on SBS once. There's a good website called "TheLazyAdmin.com" which has several articles on the steps of performing a domain rename...from the active directory itself in the first article or two...and onto renaming Exchange on article 3. The AD rename went OK...Exchange in SBS gave me one hiccup in the process which I went with a quick 'n easy workaround....all related to a much earlier setup in the AD from the prior consultant.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
I did a domain rename on SBS once. There's a good website called "TheLazyAdmin.com" which has several articles on the steps of performing a domain rename...from the active directory itself in the first article or two...and onto renaming Exchange on article 3. The AD rename went OK...Exchange in SBS gave me one hiccup in the process which I went with a quick 'n easy workaround....all related to a much earlier setup in the AD from the prior consultant.
Click to expand...

Talking about this?
http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thela...enaming-a-Windows-2003-Domain-Controller.aspx

My question to that- is what do I need to change on all my workstations, other than the obvious (shortcuts and such)??
What about Exchange- will it automatically look for the new servername or do I need to go around to each Exchange client??

Would you do the following steps, in this order?
WEEKEND 1:
1) Rename current SBS server to Server01
2) Rename domain

WEEKEND 2:
1) Run Transition Pack, breaking Exchange onto its own server (Server 02)


Or is it more work doing that? My goal is to keep it simple: one step at a time. If I've got issues, I'm just in the first step... not in the midst of trying to change everything at once. Just assuming I've got the domain structured (names) how I want it, it'd be easier when doing the Transition Pack.

Edit- Ahhh, crap... Forgot Exchange cannot be present on the DC during a DOMAIN rename. So what about this?
WEEKEND 1:
1) Rename current SBS server to Server01

WEEKEND 2:
1) Run Transition Pack, breaking Exchange onto its own server (Server 02)

WEEKEND 3:
1) Rename domain
 
boy here is what I would do...
If getting 2 new servers, set them up as the new domain controller and 1 as an exchange server. Set everything up as if the sbs server doesn't exist including users and groups.

Weekend 1
Add the servers to the network and move the workstations to the new domain.
copy the profiles
leave them on the current sbs box for exchange. (make no changes to it)
Make sure that dns is working properly and the old server can be resolved by dns on the new server, the easiest way to do this is forward the dns from the new domain controller to the old as a forwarder.
To avoid this issue in the future make your new domain .local


Weekend 2
Use exmerge to export the sbs exchange boxes.
Import them into the new exchange server. (use exmerge, export a couple mailboxes on the new exchange server and rename the exported sbs pst files to match so they import to the right place)
Change outlook to point to new exchange server on each client. (use login scripts and reg files to do this) reboot each machine let the script run then reboot again.

You can run 2 domain controllers under 2 different domains on the same network. Outlook can use exchange on another domain as long as the username and password are the same.

week 3 do whatever with the current sbs machine.
 
TechieSooner said:
Talking about this?
http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thela...enaming-a-Windows-2003-Domain-Controller.aspx

My question to that- is what do I need to change on all my workstations, other than the obvious (shortcuts and such)??
What about Exchange- will it automatically look for the new servername or do I need to go around to each Exchange client??http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thelazyadmin/archive/2006/06/07/Domain-Rename-Part-1-_2D00_-Setup.aspx
Click to expand...

http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thelazyadmin/archive/2006/06/07/Domain-Rename-Part-1-_2D00_-Setup.aspx

http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thela.../08/Domain-Rename-Part-2-_2D00_-Renaming.aspx

http://thelazyadmin.com/blogs/thela...omain-Rename-Part-3-_2D00_-Exchange-2003.aspx

Besides any shortcuts to the DC...login scrips for mapped drives, etc....when the workstations reboot....you'll have to hit that drop down menu at the ctrl+alt+del prompt and select the new AD name...which will be showing up. Quick 'n easy...but just have to hit each workstation when the log into the new domain for the first time.

Outlook can do a brief hang the first time it's opened...as it searches..but it's usually quite seamless. Newer versions "roll with the flow" better than older versions.

If you're planning on moving away from SBS...I'd probably not bother to rename it at all in the beginning. Just seems to me a more problem free path..if you rename it afterwards..once it's offloaded all of its major roles.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
Besides any shortcuts to the DC...login scrips for mapped drives, etc....when the workstations reboot....you'll have to hit that drop down menu at the ctrl+alt+del prompt and select the new AD name...which will be showing up. Quick 'n easy...but just have to hit each workstation when the log into the new domain for the first time.

Outlook can do a brief hang the first time it's opened...as it searches..but it's usually quite seamless. Newer versions "roll with the flow" better than older versions.

If you're planning on moving away from SBS...I'd probably not bother to rename it at all in the beginning. Just seems to me a more problem free path..if you rename it afterwards..once it's offloaded all of its major roles.
Click to expand...

So the c:\documents and settings\user folder will still remain the same, in a domain name change?

I'm thinking I could do the domain rename after everything is running good...

Now to just get the project $$$ approved ;)

Would you suggest going to 2008?
Dell can sell me the transition pack, which will convert everything to Server 2003 and Exchange 2005 but with the software assurance they've got I can then upgrade those to 2008/2007 if I'd like.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top