Changing a motherboard on a server

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Dan V

2010-07-01 00:50:14 UTC

I have a custom built Windows 2003 Small Business Server. This in the only
DC and it runs Exchange 2k3 and acts as a file/print server.

The motherboard has a few capacitors that are blown. I can not get the same
motherboard so i will have to use a different one. The server has an adaptec
sata raid card. The 3 HDD are setup in a raid 5.

Option 1: If i find a new motherboard that will use the exisiting processors
and memory what is the correct way to prepare the server for a new hardware
change? I have good backups but i want to prevent the server from crashing
due to different motherboards. Also i would hope that the new server will
boot with the same raid info.

Option 2:
bring a lowner server and join it to the domain and move all the roles and
GC over and move exchange over with all the mailboxes, move all the files
and redo the login script. But then when i get the new server fixed i have
to move everything back over. Seems too much of a hasle.

My main issue is the customer like most dont want to spend the money for a
new server.

Any thoughts on this.

Phillip Windell

2010-07-01 16:00:48 UTC

Permalink

That is already really tough one. Being SBS just makes it worse. First
I'll cover the official way for SBS. Lastly I list an article for doing it
with the Server OS "in general", but I don't know how with it being SBS
might cause that to fail.

CYA here...
For Exchange2003 you can use Exmerge to export the mail to PST files and
hold them safe that way. This is your most solid backup for Exchange
contents if all other backup/restore methods fail.

More CYA here....
If the old machine is still running you need to create a new temporary DC to
serve as a backup for AD (even if you don't end up needing it). You need to
CYA here. Then you just DCPromo it back out of the domain in the end.

You probably cannot keep the array intact,...it will probably have to be
re-created on new hardware then restore the contents from a Full Backup or
from a drive image.

Anyway, those I are the preparation things I would do first. Then for the
actual hardware change these two articles below may help. I would lean to
the first one, I thought the second one was very difficult to follow what
was being done. Unfortunatly the assumption is that it is moving to totally
new hardware and not simply a motherboard swap, so you you may have to alter
the concept by using the temporoary Server that I mentioned above to
preserve the AD,..worse yet you would have to do it twice,...once from the
old to the Temp,...then from the Temp to the Rebuilt.

So if they don't want to buy a new Server you will still have to come up
with a temporary one somehow. But since you have to do everything
twice,...and charge them for twice as much labor and time it may cost them
more than buying a new Server. That may be leverage to convince them to buy
a new Server and then move everything only once.

Migrating Windows Small Business Server 2003 to New Hardware
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc747454%28WS.10%29.aspx

Migrate to new hardware, no Swing, exmerge, no DCPromo, no AD restore ! -
Smallbizserver.Net - Small Business Server Support Forum - English -
Microsoft Small Business Server 2003 & 2000 - Small Business Server 2003
http://www.smallbizserver.net/Default.aspx?tabid=53&aft=55845

Now with the Windows OS in general look at:

How to move a Windows installation to different hardware
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/249694
--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Post by Dan V
I have a custom built Windows 2003 Small Business Server. This in the only
DC and it runs Exchange 2k3 and acts as a file/print server.
The motherboard has a few capacitors that are blown. I can not get the
same motherboard so i will have to use a different one. The server has an
adaptec sata raid card. The 3 HDD are setup in a raid 5.
Option 1: If i find a new motherboard that will use the exisiting
processors and memory what is the correct way to prepare the server for a
new hardware change? I have good backups but i want to prevent the server
from crashing due to different motherboards. Also i would hope that the
new server will boot with the same raid info.
bring a lowner server and join it to the domain and move all the roles and
GC over and move exchange over with all the mailboxes, move all the files
and redo the login script. But then when i get the new server fixed i have
to move everything back over. Seems too much of a hasle.
My main issue is the customer like most dont want to spend the money for a
new server.
Any thoughts on this.

Phillip Windell

2010-07-01 16:15:26 UTC

Permalink

Another option is to have the capacitors replaced. We've done that
here,...we are a TV station,...so there are a few Broadcast Engineers
running around with soldering irons with nothing better to do than patch up
some of my old Mbs. I don't really like doing that,..I never trust the
hardware after that as much as I would a new replacement,...but it is an
option I thought I'd mention.
--
Phillip Windell

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Kerry Brown

2010-07-01 17:26:07 UTC

Permalink

You can use the sbsmigration.com "swing" method to move Active Directory and
Exchange onto a temp domain controller then back onto the server once a new
motherboard is installed. Because you're going back to the same server there
are a couple of extra steps over a normal swing migration but the process is
well understood and supported by sbsmigration.com. That is the most trouble
free method. The least expensive method is to make sure you have several
verified backups. Install the new motherboard. Do a "repair" install of the
underlying Sever 2003 OS so it will work with the new hardware. Because it's
SBS this last method will break many of the SBS wizards. If you are very
familiar with SBS, the registry, and AD this can be fixed. If you are not I
highly recommend the swing method. Their technical support is very good.

http://www.sbsmigration.com/
--
Kerry Brown
MS-MVP - Windows Desktop Experience: Systems Administration
http://www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2/

Dusko Savatovic

2010-07-01 22:52:37 UTC

Permalink

If it's an older server, chances are that disks are much smaller capacity
than what is usual today.

Anyway I would clone both system disk and data disks (RAID) and then proceed
with cloned disks. I wouldn't touch the old equipment to avoid damaging
something.

I would install new disks with old system files and data into a new server.

If the server gives me BSOD, I'd insert SBS install disk and start 'repair'
installation. The chances are that it would work.

Another option is to go virtual. Get yourself a modern powerfull server and
get a virtualization product of your choice. Both Hyper-V and VMWare have
very good P2V (physical-to-virtual) solutions. The transition can be very
fast with right tools. If you're uncomfortable, perhaps you can hire someone
for the job.

Good luck

Grant Taylor

2010-07-02 04:10:38 UTC

Permalink

Post by Dusko Savatovic
If it's an older server, chances are that disks are much smaller
capacity than what is usual today.

Agreed.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Anyway I would clone both system disk and data disks (RAID) and then
proceed with cloned disks. I wouldn't touch the old equipment to avoid
damaging something.

I'm not sure if this is what Dusko was getting at or not, but here's
what I had in mind when I started reading his post, which is close.

1) Clone the old system to a single drive.
2) Swap the motherboard with one as close as you can realistically get.
3) Remove the RAID controller / disconnect the old drives.
4) Try booting the system off of the cloned drive using the new
motherboard and see what happens.

If it turns out that you only need to update a few drivers (never
touching the HAL) you might be good to go.

If everything goes well enough, simply hook up the old RAID and repeat
the driver touching process.

Remember to make plenty of backups along the way. The more the better.
You can always find uses for the extra temporary drives.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Another option is to go virtual. Get yourself a modern powerfull server
and get a virtualization product of your choice. Both Hyper-V and VMWare
have very good P2V (physical-to-virtual) solutions. The transition can
be very fast with right tools. If you're uncomfortable, perhaps you can
hire someone for the job.

Another good option.

Chances are very good that the system will perform better as a virtual
machine running on new hardware than simply repairing the old hardware.
Plus, you will have new features for the future.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Good luck

I second that.

Oh ya, make sure that you have plenty of time and safety nets that you
can back out. Nothing is worse than having a server that is running,
even if it is limping along, and turning it in to one that has fallen
flat on it's face. :-(

Grant. . . .

Dusko Savatovic

2010-07-02 09:16:45 UTC

Permalink

I kinda forgot about a title "Changing a motherboard..." and switched to my
line of thinking "Replacing a server..."

I would definitely recommend replacing a server with a new one.
I would use all possible excuses to avoid repairing the old one.

I would buy a new server with Windows Server 2008 R2 and go to Hyper-V.
Depending on your budget you can buy:
Standard Edition which allows one physical + one virtual instance of Windows
Server 2008 R2.
Enterprise Edition which allows running one physical + four virtual
instances of Windows Server 2008 R2.

P2V is included in System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM). If you
don't want to buy that, you may ask (hire) someone who has it, to do the P2V
conversion for you.
http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/en/us/virtual-machine-manager/vmm-features.aspx

If you don't want to buy Windows Server 2008 R2, you can download a free
product Hyper-V Server 2008 R2.
http://www.microsoft.com/hyper-v-server/en/us/default.aspx

However, this freebie works only with a text mode console, so you should be
comfortable with command line tools and some scripting (there are few
interesting downloads (scripts) that make command line management easier).

And yeah, Grants last advice is mine too.
Beware, you may be turned into a scapegoat.

Post by Grant Taylor

Post by Dusko Savatovic
If it's an older server, chances are that disks are much smaller capacity
than what is usual today.

Agreed.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Anyway I would clone both system disk and data disks (RAID) and then
proceed with cloned disks. I wouldn't touch the old equipment to avoid
damaging something.

I'm not sure if this is what Dusko was getting at or not, but here's what
I had in mind when I started reading his post, which is close.
1) Clone the old system to a single drive.
2) Swap the motherboard with one as close as you can realistically get.
3) Remove the RAID controller / disconnect the old drives.
4) Try booting the system off of the cloned drive using the new
motherboard and see what happens.
If it turns out that you only need to update a few drivers (never touching
the HAL) you might be good to go.
If everything goes well enough, simply hook up the old RAID and repeat the
driver touching process.
Remember to make plenty of backups along the way. The more the better.
You can always find uses for the extra temporary drives.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Another option is to go virtual. Get yourself a modern powerfull server
and get a virtualization product of your choice. Both Hyper-V and VMWare
have very good P2V (physical-to-virtual) solutions. The transition can be
very fast with right tools. If you're uncomfortable, perhaps you can hire
someone for the job.

Another good option.
Chances are very good that the system will perform better as a virtual
machine running on new hardware than simply repairing the old hardware.
Plus, you will have new features for the future.

Post by Dusko Savatovic
Good luck

I second that.
Oh ya, make sure that you have plenty of time and safety nets that you can
back out. Nothing is worse than having a server that is running, even if
it is limping along, and turning it in to one that has fallen flat on it's
face. :-(
Grant. . . .