replacing an old server

wijcc · 23 Jul 2014 at 12:55

Hi all, I need tip and advice on the easiest way of replacing an old server. I currently have a 10 year old server running win 2003, it is running AD, a shared network drive, SQL server and a few others programs which users access from the server. I am going to purchase a new server with win server 2012.
What would be the easiest way to replace the old server with the new one without the users being affected or knowing the change? I was planning of giving the new server the same IP and network name as the old one.. so all the shared drives and programs links etc stay the same and I will not have to reconfigure all these on the workstations.

Thanks in advance guys.

wijcc · 23 Jul 2014 at 16:29

yeap its a small business, running win server 2003 r2... running about 50 workstations and about 80 users. Its a single server which is also the DC. will be replaced by the same.

Cost is an issue i guess.. what benefit would i have getting a separate server just for being the domain controller. It is not running exchange or any other mail server software?

Thanks guys for the tips guys

wijcc · 24 Jul 2014 at 00:24

no its not SBS, running the server 2003 R2. Would be purchasing win server 2012 most likely as well unless there is a good reason not too. I already have licences for SQL server through one of the programmes that will be running on the server.

wijcc · 24 Jul 2014 at 11:18

i already have a backup DC which is just a workstation with several large HDDs as it is also used as a secondary backup.
I will update this workstation as well after i do the main server.