Migrating from Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2003 Standard Part 1 – Preparing your network

If you would like to read the next part in this article series please go to Migrating from Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2003 Standard Part 2 – Configuring Exchange.

Introduction

For the purposes of this article, I am assuming that the SBS server will be decommissioned at the end of the process, leaving a windows 2003 server Native Domain with a separate dedicated Domain Controller (DC) and separate server box running Exchange 2003 Standard. 

You could in-fact keep the SBS server in the domain, so long as it remains a “god” in terms of holding the FSMO roles and being the DC in the root of the forest. Remember, you can’t have more than one SBS server in a forest at any one time! 

This sounds easy, but do not forget that SBS is a control freak and wants to be in-charge of the whole forest. So asking it to take a back seat needs slow and careful attention. Disobey these rules at your peril. Plus, if you throw Exchange into the mix, this makes for quite a complex operation. Do not experiment on a live system. The slightest error and you lose the whole domain. 


Figure 1: Test Lab Scenario setup

Figure 1 is a diagram of the lab environment that I have created for this tutorial using Virtual Server. SBS represents the original Small Business Server 2003 with Exchange installed and configured. DC01 will be the new domain controller and Exchange01 will be the new Exchange server. At the end of the process, SBS will be decommissioned, leaving DC01 controlling the domain and Exchange01 as the Exchange server.

To clear things up straight away, Microsoft does not permit you to separate components of SBS 2003, for example to install Exchange on another server. I have been asked this question on my blog previously.

The main steps of this procedure are as follows:

  1. Join a Windows Server 2003 Standard to the domain as a member server (DC01).
  2. Install DNS on DC01.
  3. DC promo DC01.
  4. Make DC01 a Global Catalog server (GC).
  5. Change the preferred DNS address of DC01 to point to itself. Change the preferred DNS address of SBS to point to DC01.
  6. Transfer the FSMO roles to DC01.
  7. Wait for replication to take place. Give it a good 15 minutes, depending upon the size of your network.
  8. Remove the GC from SBS.

Step-through Network configuration changes

  1. Join DC01 to the domain yellowpark.local as a member server.

Firstly, change the network card settings of DC01 to point to SBS for DNS.


Figure 2: Internet Protocol settings

Then, right click My Computer and Click properties, then click the Computer Name tab.

Click the Change Button, and enter the details of the domain to join.


Figure 3: Joining the domain

Click OK. You will then be prompted to enter a Username and Password with the permissions necessary to join the domain. Enter the username and password and click OK. You will then need to reboot.

  1. Install DNS on DC01

Go to Add Remove Programs, Add Remove Windows Components.

Select Network Services and click details.


Figure 4: Install Networking Services

Select DNS and WINS and click OK.

  1. Once DNS and WINS has installed, you are ready to promote DC01 to a Domain Controller.

Click Start, Run. Then enter dcpromo and click OK.

Click through the Wizard then select Additional domain controller for an existing domain. Click Next.


Figure 5: Active Directory Installation

Enter a username and password with the permissions capable of doing this, e.g. Administrator. Click Next.

Enter the name of the domain (e.g. yellowpark.local) and click Next

Select the location where you would like to store the database folder and the log folder, for the purpose of this article accept the defaults, Click Next.


Figure 6: Database and Log folders

Select the location you would like the Sysvol folder to be stored. Again, accept the default and click next.


Figure 7: Sysvol folder location

Enter a password to be used for the Directory Services Restore Mode. Make sure you don’t forget this! Click Next twice. DCPromo starts running and will take a few minutes to complete.

You will be prompted to reboot upon completion. Reboot and log onto the domain DC01.

  1. Next step is to make DC01 a Global Catalog Server (GC). Open Active Directory Sites and Services. Click Start, Administrative Tools, Active Directory Sites and Services.

Expand Sites, Expand Servers, then expand NTDS Settings. Right click NTDS Settings for Exchange01 and Click Properties.

Tick Global Catalog.


Figure 8: Global Catalog Server

  1. Next we’re going to open the Network Card properties of DC01 and change the Preferred DNS Server IP address to point to itself – 192.168.0.11. 
  2. Transferring the FSMO roles to DC01. 

Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

Click the change button to change the RID Master role to DC01. Repeat this for each of the other tabs.


Figure 9: Operations Master Roles

To transfer the Domain Naming Master, Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

Right Click Active Directory Domains and Trusts Node and click Operations Master. Click the change button to change the Operations Master to DC01.


Figure 10: Domain Naming Master

To transfer the Schema Master role:

Firstly, you’ll need to register Schmmgmt.dll (if you haven’t used it before). Click Start, click Run, type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll, and then click OK. Then create a new snap in.  Click Start, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK. Right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Change Domain Controller. Specify DC01. Right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Operations Master. In the Change Schema Master dialog box, click Change. Move the site licensing server to the SBS 2003 computer. To do this, open Active Directory Sites and Services. Expand Sites and then click Default-First-Site-Name. Right-click Licensing Site Settings, and then click Properties. Click Change, type the name of DC01 in the Enter the object name to select area, and then click OK.

  1. Reboot and wait for event 1119 or 1869 to show in the Event Viewer Directory Service Log on DC01. This shows DC01 is a GC. This is very important. Remember, no Global Catalog means no one can log on and you will loose the domain! 

It can take an hour for this event to show. I usually go and make a cup of tea and come back later. There is a work around to make it happen quicker, but I would avoid it. When I did this test lab, it took 1 hour 47 minutes before I saw Event 1869. 

  1. Next step is to remove the GC from SBS. Open Active Directory Sites and Services. Click Start, Administrative Tools, Active Directory Sites and Services. Expand Sites, Expand Servers, then expand SBS NTDS Settings. Right click NTDS Settings for Exchange01 and click Properties. Un-tick Global Catalog.

Conclusion

Stay alert till the last moment. Don’t start smoking cigars until you get the GC log, everything has been transferred over and the 2003 Standard Server has had exchange installed and you dcpromo out of the domain. 

Check your Event Logs. You need to find the expected logs. Part of every good IT administrators job is to look mindlessly at logs. 

In Part 2, we will make the Exchange Server configuration changes.

If you would like to read the next part in this article series please go to Migrating from Small Business Server 2003 to Exchange 2003 Standard Part 2 – Configuring Exchange.

Essential documents:

For more information about how to move mailboxes in Exchange Server 2003, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base 821829 – Moving mailboxes in Exchange Server 2003

Transfer mailboxes and public folders from SBS to the new DC. Follow KB822931 to remove the SBS exchange server from your organisation.

Q: Can I separate the components of SBS 2003 R2; for example, install Exchange or SQL Server on another server?
A:  You may not separate the software for use on more than one operating system environment under a single license, unless expressly permitted. This applies even if the operating system environments are on the same physical hardware system, such as by using virtualization technology.

How to upgrade Small Business Server Domain Environment to regular Windows 2003 Domain

Upgrading SBS 2000 to SBS 2003 Resources

For information about completing an upgrade, see Chapter 3B of the Getting Started guide.
For step-by-step instructions to complete a server migration, see Migrating from Small Business Server 2000 or Windows 2000 Server to Windows Small Business Server 2003.
Note:
To complete an upgrade, you must be running Small Business Server 2000 Service Pack 1. If you are not running Service Pack 1, see Knowledge Base article 326924 on the Microsoft Support site for information about downloading the service pack.

Windows Small Business Server 2003 Upgrade Best Practices

KB884453 How to install Small Business Server 2003 in an existing Active Directory domain

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