Migrating SBS 2003 to Server 2003 R2 SP2 path confusion

[guest]

I need a little guidance. My company is migrating from an old Dell 2003 SBS to a new Dell preloaded Server 2003 R2 Sp2 W/5 cals. with raid 1-1 installed. With all the home work I've been doing checking out all the utilities and migration tools then hearing reports of failure, I'm wondering just where to start and what path to take.

They are running exchange with two Remote Desktop Connections and five mailboxes which they want to move to a normal PST and then setup with pop mail hosted off site.

Dell advises to install and run everything through their Open Manage Server Admin., then I hear MS advise to use the ADMT, Domain Rename Tools, File Replication Service, MS File Server migrations Tool Kit or the IIS Kit and the Resource tools kit. I've recently read some interesting things about the "Transition utility", but I think I have to purchase that.

One pro has advised me to set up the new server as a backup domain controller-then replicate active dir. to the new server-unplug the old SBS-then run dcpromo on the new server. Sounds great if this would work!!!

There seems to be and endless compliment of methods and wizards/Utility's.

There are only five users and I am wondering if there isn't a simpler way to do this... WITHOUT ALL THE FAILURES I READ ABOUT IN THESE FORUMS.

AND I'm getting a little confused!!! Can find some good advise to get me back on track here.

[guest]

I think a simple way is transaction. The general process is as below:



1. Backup the SBS2003 including the system state and Exchange.



2. Export the users mailboxes utilizing the Outlook client.


3. Join a new server to the SBS domain and promote it to a DC:

http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsSe ... x?mfr=true



4. Configure the machine to be a GC and host DNS. Transfer the FSMO roles to the new DC.



You can refer to the following article to perform to view and transfer FSMO roles.



Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain controller

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504



Install DNS component on new server and configure it as a new DNS Server (Active Directory Integrated-Zone is preferred). All the DNS configuration should be replicated to the new DNS server with Active Directory Replication.



5. Migrate Exchange server to new server.



6. After you verify that the new SBS server are working, you can then demote the old SBS 2003 server.



In addition, you can also refer to the following website that introduces a new method 'swing' to migrate SBS server, which is a process to accomplish either a version upgrade or server replacement migration without giving up the domain, or the server name.

http://www.sbsmigration.com/pages/96/



To gain more accurate assistance, please post SBS related questions to the SBS queues to ensure this issue will receive more effective attention:



Windows Small Business Server 2003:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/commun ... server.sbs



The engineers and members there are more experienced on SBS-related issues, and should be able to provide you with suggestions on these kinds of issues.