Swing Migration has revolutionized the way you can work. It is a process to accomplish a version upgrade, server replacement or domain infrastructure upgrade without giving up the domain, or the server name, or the integrity of your Exchange in the process. Remarkably, you can test the project to completion all while working offline with an open time line. You get a clean server installation retains all the critical Active Directory domain information and predictable results.
What is shown below is a diagram of the process, and further below is a simple outline of the process.
Migrations & Upgrades
Exchange Platforms
Rebuilds & Transitions
SBS Platforms
Cross Platforms Moves
Windows/Exchange/SBS
Cross-Platforms Transitions
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Transition Packs not required! Microsoft upgrade products not required! Build the server you want with the product and media you choose, change your production environment with new server substitutions rather than risky in-production upgrades. The common strategy with Swing Migration projects is to move all of the construction offline while the production environment continues to operate unchanged, uninterupted. The resulting server(s) you build can have the same identity as the original server, and you operate from totally different platforms or release versions. |
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Explain
2003 Platform Series
TempDC - This temporary server built with trial/temporary media (Virtual Machine or workstation hardware is fine)
- Clean install a Windows 2003 Server (using SBS media) as a workgroup server only.
- Manually join it to the existing SBS domain, preparing this server as a Temp DC.
- Install DNS, perform DCpromo and designate as a Global Catalog Server.
- Replicate DNS and AD then shutdown and disconnect
- Seize all FSMO roles
- Purge the Active Directory metabase and DNS of all previous Domain Controllers, Exchange and DNS Server references
FinalDC - This is the replacement for the OriginalDC
- Clean install Windows 2003 Server just as before, reuse the original SBS Server name and IP. This server will look just like the previous SBS for name, IP, AD, and UNC/URL paths.
- Install DNS, perform DCpromo, designate as Global Catalog Server.
- Replicate DNS and AD.
- Seize all FSMO roles, purge the Temp DC from DNS and AD
- Finish normal SBS Setup using this Server
- Complete the balance of migration of Exchange, all Data, and shared resources
- If desired, perform a migration of the intact Exchange Information Store as a direct mount of the previous Information Store as if it were an offline restore. Reconnect mailboxes.
- Perform a direct substitution of the new server for the old SBS
- Deploy Applications as normal for SBS.
2008 Platform Series
TempDC TempDC - This 32-bit temporary server built with SBS 2003 media (Virtual Machine or workstation hardware is fine)
- Reliable construction path similar logic to previous versions of Swing Migration (using SBS or comparable media), but updated for technical compliance to this project scenario.
- Basic Exchange 2003 installation is also required on this server.
- Complete the essential requirements for SBS 2008 source server.
FinalDC - This is the replacement for the OriginalDC
- Offline Construction proceeds offline (production domain unaffected, still in operation unchanged)
- Migration Mode SBS 2008 Setup using this Server with TempDC as Source Server
- Resulting server is fully compliant to Microsoft operations and management tools
- Optional: Test all aspects of data transitions and applications upgrade validation
- Final transition: Interupt production operations to transfer current data as backup/restore from OriginalDC to FinalDC
- Migration of Exchange data transfers by restore to TempDC and transition to FinalDC.
- Perform a direct substitution of the new server for the old SBS
- Deploy Applications as normal for SBS.