Windows System Management Software

How to migrate a Windows Domain (NT or Active Directory) to a new one by using IDEAL Migration?

How to migrate from a standalone server to a member server?

We have to migrate our FTP server running on a standalone server (not a member of any domain) to a brand new server being a member of our Windows 2003 domain.

The purpose of this article is to explain how to migrate a stand-alone server (i.e., not a member of a domain) to a server that is a member of an existing domain, and to transfer groups and users in the domain that are not on the target server.

The issues:

The problem here stems from wanting to migrate groups and users to the target domain whereas the shares, data, and printers are to be created on a third party server and will have to reference these new groups and users from the domain.

Local groups will therefore have to be converted to global groups, and the built-in groups existing on the source server will perhaps have to be replaced by their counterparts on the domain level.

A built-in group is one the operating system creates by default, such as "Administrators", "Domain users", etc

Naming conventions:

Stand-alone server: SRV-LONE
Member server: SRV-MEMBER
Domain controller: SRV-DOMAIN
Target domain: TARGET-DOMAIN

Sequence of operations:

01- Replace the "Administrator" account password on SRV-LONE by the "Administrator" password from TARGET-DOMAIN.

02- Install IDEAL Migration on SRV-LONE and enter your license key.

03- Select "Migration Wizard" in the left section of the main screen.

04- User group migration:

• Double click on "User group migration".
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything.
  
• Edit the CSV file created using Windows NotePad or any other ASCII text editor.
  
• Remove all the groups you don't need on the target domain (these include, among others, built-in groups like Administrators, Users, etc.)
  
• Now replace the ";LOCAL;" sequence by ";GLOBAL;".
  
• Save your modifications and close the text editor.
  
• Double click on "User group migration".
  
• Uncheck "Export groups".
  
• Check "Import groups".
  
• Enter SRV-DOMAIN in the "To" field.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

05- User account migration:

• Double click on "User account migration".
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything.
  
• Use NotePad to edit the CSV file created.
  
• Remove all the users you don't need on the target domain (these include, among others, built-in users like Administrator, Guest, etc.)
  
• Now replace the built-in groups by their counterparts from the domain (e.g., Administrators becomes Domain Admins, Users becomes Domain Users, etc.)
  
• Save your modifications and close the text editor.
  
• Double click on "User account migration".
  
• Uncheck "Export user accounts".
  
• Check "Import user accounts".
  
• Enter SRV-DOMAIN in the "To" field.
  
• Check "Transfer user account passwords".
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

At this stage, SRV-LONE's groups and users are now defined on the target domain. Any membership of users in these groups has also been transferred (Members of).
Now the different types of data have to be migrated.

06- Shared folders migration:

• Double click on "Shared folder migration".
  
• Click the icon that shows a PC with a magnifying glass.
  
• In the "Shared folders to be exported" window that pops up, click this icon again.
  
• Select and add useful shares (you must transfer them to the lower window) by double clicking on them or by using the two arrow buttons to the right.
  
• Once you've made your selection, click "OK" to get back to the migration window.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Use NotePad to edit the CSV file created.
  
• Replace the built-in groups by their counterparts on the domain.
  
• Save your modifications and close the text editor.
  
• Double click on "Shared folder migration".
  
• Uncheck "Export shared folders".
  
• Check "Import shared folders".
  
• Enter SRV-MEMBER in the "To" field.
  
• Select "Define rules" in the "Translation" field.
  
• Click on the "++" button to define the following two rules:
  -> Replace "SRV-LONE" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  -> Replace "BUILTIN" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  
• Close the rules definition window.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else (except maybe the disk drive letters if necessary).
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

07- Migrating security settings on files and directories:

• Double click on "Migrating security settings on files and directories".
  
• Click on "Select files and directories to export" in order to specify which data to migrate.
  
• In the "Select security settings for exportation" window that pops up, use the "Shares" and/or "Directories" buttons to browse to and select your data.
  
• Once you've made your selection, click "OK" to get back to the migration window.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Use NotePad to edit the CSV file created.
  
• Replace the built-in groups by their counterparts on the domain.
  
• Save your modifications and close the text editor.
  
• Double click on "Migrating security settings on files and directories".
  
• Uncheck "Export security settings".
  
• Check "Import security settings".
  
• Enter SRV-MEMBER in the "To" field.
  
• Select "Define rules" in the "Translation" field.
  
• Click on the "++" button to define the following two rules:
  -> Replace "SRV-LONE" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  -> Replace "BUILTIN" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  
• Close the rules definition window.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else (except maybe the disk drive letters if necessary).
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

08- Printer port migration:

• Double click on "Printer port migration".
  
• Uncheck "Export local ports".
  
• Check "Import printer ports".
  
• Enter SRV-MEMBER in the "To" field.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

09- Printer migration:

• Double click on "Printer migration".
  
• Click the icon that shows a PC with a magnifying glass.
  
• In the "Printers to be exported" window that pops up, click on this icon again.
  
• Select and add useful printers (you must transfer them to the lower window) by double clicking on them or by using the two arrow buttons to the right.
  
• Once you've made your selection, click "OK".
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Use NotePad to edit the CSV file created.
  
• Replace the built-in groups by their counterparts on the domain.
  
• Save your modifications and close the text editor.
  
• Double click on "Printer migration".
  
• Uncheck "Export printers".
  
• Check "Import printers".
  
• Enter SRV-MEMBER in the "To" field.
  
• Select "Define rules" in the "Translation" field.
  
• Click on the "++" button to define the following two rules:
  -> Replace "SRV-LONE" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  -> Replace "BUILTIN" with "TARGET-DOMAIN".
  
• Close the rules definition window.
  
• Click "Run" without changing anything else.
  
• Verify the log file to see if there have been any problems.

You're ready to go!