Small Business Server 2003 to 2012 R2 Migration and Virtualized Domain Controller Questions

garak0410

@scottalanmiller said:

Okay. So now for backups.

In what way is Unitrends appearing to not be the right solution? What is it lacking in the free version?

It's hard to tell context in a message (saying I am not irrationally upset...I'm content but determined...LOL) but I am done with virtualization. Every time I try something, some new challenge comes up. I just want the new server to work as the old one but faster. I've got too many other duties piling up (like ordering toner for our copier, LOL) and I've spent a week on this and keep finding roadblocks. I am getting great advice but it doesn't seem to be good for our environment or budget.

Not throwing in the towel but serious, one man IT shop and too much to do right now to keep encountering these little roadblocks and detours. Basically, I need a all in one backup suite to backup AD, Files, SQL on both virtual and physical. With ZERO budget. I guess I could use BOTH programs but I like it nice and neat.

scottalanmiller

Okay. Just one final question then. Now that you have things working on HyperV - if you want to do everything the same as before, why does that rule out virtualization? Can't you do everything the same and virtualize?

No need to do anything differently because you are virtualizing. Aren't all of the roadblocks, other than the temporary performance one, caused by looking to make other changes and not because of the virtualization at all? Or did I miss some roadblock that has come from the virtualization.

scottalanmiller

And by that I mean keeping the BackupAssist, all roles on one server, static IPs, everything. If you skip virtualizing today you are locked in for the life of the system. You give up your options.

But as long as you virtualized now, everything else can stay the same and/or change gradually over time. Only this one piece is a cut and dry do now or miss out for a long time.

I don't want this to seem overwhelming because of lots of moving parts. But I don't want you screwed for years to come either.

Dashrender

To bad you don't have more time to work/play with this.

First things first - @scottalanmiller is right - you should ditch HyperV only because you don't have the time to learn how to make it work correctly. VMWare ESXi Hypervisor (free version) is super simple to install - insert CD and install. it's pretty much nearly that simple.

Even if you stay with HyperV now that you have performance issue resolved you're 80% there.

As Scott mentioned, the processes you have to follow to move to a new server are the same on VM or physical server.

@garak0410 said:

@garak0410 said:

@scottalanmiller said:

I would generally wait until after hours but should be pretty safe in most environments. AD is rarely something that an SMB depends on minute to minute.

Tempting to do now...but I can VPN around 5:30 and run it too.

I tried running ADPREP and it didn't work since my current Domain Controller is 32 bit. So if I understand this article correct:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2743367

It has to be run remotely? It was kind of vague.

Correct - you have to run the commands on a 64bit system (most likely your newly installed 2012 R2 server)

scottalanmiller

The ADPrep issues will follow you to a physical environment too.

garak0410

I do appreciate the encouragement to drive on with my virtual plan...just ready to get it off my plate.

scottalanmiller

My thought was... You already have it done. It is working on HyperV now. So it is all done. Now you can just proceed as if it were physical. Ignore that it is virtual from here forward is now your path of least resistance. Going physical requires installing fresh and starting over.

garak0410

By the way...turning off VMQ also made remote desktop much better... So that solved my speed woes for sure...

garak0410

BackupAssist had been giving me conflicting stories...they said I can run their stuff on the host AND backup AD from the host and have granular restores. I am still a little wary of it as it just does one large backup and doesn't let me select what exact folders I want...

http://www.backupassist.com/education/resources/hyperv_implementation_guide.html

scottalanmiller

@garak0410 said:

By the way...turning off VMQ also made remote desktop much better... So that solved my speed woes for sure...

Yes. Sounds like that was just causing general network havoc.

scottalanmiller

@garak0410 said:

BackupAssist had been giving me conflicting stories...they said I can run their stuff on the host AND backup AD from the host and have granular restores. I am still a little wary of it as it just does one large backup and doesn't let me select what exact folders I want...

http://www.backupassist.com/education/resources/hyperv_implementation_guide.html

When you say "the host" what do you mean?

Why not use BackupAssist exactly like you are using it now?

garak0410

@scottalanmiller said:

@garak0410 said:

BackupAssist had been giving me conflicting stories...they said I can run their stuff on the host AND backup AD from the host and have granular restores. I am still a little wary of it as it just does one large backup and doesn't let me select what exact folders I want...

http://www.backupassist.com/education/resources/hyperv_implementation_guide.html

When you say "the host" what do you mean?

Why not use BackupAssist exactly like you are using it now?

The physical server that hosts the virtual's. What they kept telling me over and over is that the ONLY way AD could be backed up was only from the Domain Controller itself.

But as you said in the other post, I can just load BackupAssist on the Domain Controller, back up AD and remote backup the files and SQL and also do supplemental backups of the VM's with Unitrends when I get it working.

scottalanmiller

The "host" as you are calling it is not the Domain Controller. It is the HyperV control environment. It cannot be used for anything else. No DC, no backups. It is not available to you except to control HyperV. Don't think of it as being a Windows Server. From a license standpoint, it is not.

Your DC is a VM and just install BackupAssist there as the vendor said to.

scottalanmiller

This is, sadly, one of the ways in which HyperV is more confusing than every other product on the market. Microsoft, in an attempt to make things "easy" makes the SO confusing.

garak0410

@scottalanmiller said:

This is, sadly, one of the ways in which HyperV is more confusing than every other product on the market. Microsoft, in an attempt to make things "easy" makes the SO confusing.

Good, I am justified in my confusion. Ha. And I now see where something like Unitrends is helpful in VM backups now too.

OK, I am going to bump my DC up in memory to handle the backups for now. See, just see an advantage of virtualization. I just am not ready for new snafu's if they should arise related to Hyper-V.

scottalanmiller

And, just in case it isn't clear elsewhere, Unitrends is a VM on is own. It doesn't run on top of something else. You just download and pop into HyperV. It's an appliance, just in virtual form.

garak0410

@scottalanmiller said:

And, just in case it isn't clear elsewhere, Unitrends is a VM on is own. It doesn't run on top of something else. You just download and pop into HyperV. It's an appliance, just in virtual form.

Yes...I installed Unitrends and it automatically created a Hyper-V VM. It was nice.

garak0410

OK...this is officially Migration Week and ready to just "do it."...everyone has twisted my arm to remain with and trust Virtualization. Now that I got that VMQ turned off, the VM's run great.

So, another question I am unclear about and I have may have asked about it in some capacity...and I'll try to be as detailed as possible.

So, since I can skip running ADPREP on the existing Domain Controller since it is 32 Bit, when do I run it on the future new Domain Controller?

My next step in the migration portion of this is this:

			□ Add the AD role.
				® http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh472162
				® After adding the AD DS role and DNS roles to your new Windows 2012 R2 Server simply click the link under Post-deployment configuration from your server manager titled "Promote this server to a Domain Controller"
				® Walk through the wizard and add your new domain controller to your existing domain.

So, here are my questions:
I've never done this wizard before...will it eventually prompt me to enter a domain name? (I want it to be the same as my current one for sure)
By promoting it, it will not affect the other one at all correct? So I should be able to do this during business hours right? Only on demotion of the old one, will this one take over, right?

Thanks...

scottalanmiller

You should already be joined to the domain. It doesn't need to ask you the domain name because you only promote within the domain that you are already in.

scottalanmiller

Becoming a DC will not impact the other DC. Having multiple DCs at once is how AD is meant to be used.