Prepare your Source Server for Windows SBS 2011 Essentials migration

Published: March 10, 2011

Updated: May 12, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Perform the following procedures to prepare your Source Server for migration:

  1. Back up the Source Server

  2. Verify the network configuration

  3. Download and install critical and security updates

  4. Create a plan to migrate line-of-business applications

Back up the Source Server

Before you begin the migration process, back up your Source Server. Making a backup helps protect your data from accidental loss if an unrecoverable error occurs during migration.

To back up the Source Server

  1. Perform a full backup of the Source Server.

  2. Verify that the backup ran successfully. To test the integrity of the backup, select random files from your backup, restore them to an alternate location, and then confirm that the restored files are the same as the original files.

Verify the network configuration

To prepare for migration, you must install a router on your network as the gateway to the Internet.

Figure 1  Local area network with broadband connection

Download and install critical and security updates

Install the latest updates on the Source Server for the operating system and for the applications and services you are migrating.

To install updates by using Windows Update

  1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.

  2. Click Check for updates.

  3. If you are asked to configure Windows Update settings, perform the following steps:

    1. Click OK.

    2. Click Change settings, which is located under the Check for updates link, and then configure the Windows Update settings.

    3. Click Check for updates.

  4. Click Install Updates to apply identified updates.

  5. For each Microsoft Software License Term that is displayed, review the text and click Yes to accept.

  6. If prompted, restart the Source Server.

  7. To verify that the updates are installed, click Start, click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click View installed updates.

After you use Windows Update, install updates and service packs for the remaining applications and services that you are migrating.

Create a plan to migrate line-of-business applications

A line-of-business (LOB) application is a computer application that is vital to running a business. These include accounting, supply-chain management, and resource-planning applications.

When you plan to migrate your LOB applications, consult with the LOB application providers to determine the appropriate method for migrating each application. You also must collect the installation media that is necessary to reinstall the LOB applications on the Destination Server.

You can fill in the following table as you collect LOB application information. A good place to start is to view the programs that appear in the Programs section of Control Panel. You might find additional programs in the Program Files (x86) and the Program Files folders on the system drive.

Application or general data folder name Path to data Notes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note

After you update and prepare your Source Server for migration, we recommend that you create a new backup of the updated server before continuing the migration process.

Next topic: Create a migration answer file for Windows SBS 2011 Essentials migration