Use Windows SBS Best Practice Analyzer to evaluate the health of the Source Server for Windows SBS 2008 Migration

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Updated: January 22, 2009

Applies To: Windows SBS 2008

If your Source Server is running Windows SBS 2003, you can run the Best Practices Analyzer to verify that there are no issues on your server, network, or domain before you start the migration process. If your Source Server is running Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, you can use the Windows Support Tools to accomplish this task.

Run the Best Practices Analyzer

Note

Your Source Server must be running Windows SBS 2003 to run the Best Practices Analyzer.

The Best Practices Analyzer collects configuration information from the following sources:

  • Active Directory Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)

  • The registry

  • The Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase

The Best Practice Analyzer checks the following components of Windows SBS 2003:

  • Exchange Server

  • Update Services

  • Network configuration

  • Windows SharePoint Services

  • SQL Server

To use the Best Practices Analyzer to analyze your Source Server

  1. Download and install the Best Practices Analyzer from the Microsoft Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=113752).

  2. Click Start, point to All Programs, and then click SBS Best Practices Analyzer Tool.

Note

You should check for updates before you scan the server.

  1. In the navigation pane, click Start a scan.

  2. In the details pane, type the scan label, and then click Start scanning. The scan label is the name of the scan report, for example “SBS BPA Scan 8Jun2008.”

  3. After the scan finishes, click View a report of this Best Practices scan.

After the Best Practices Analyzer collects and analyzes the information, it presents a list of issues, which are sorted by severity. For each issue, the Analyzer describes the issue that it encountered and it suggests solutions. You can view any of the following three report types:

Report Type Description

List Reports

Displays reports in a one-dimensional list.

Tree Reports

Displays reports in a hierarchical list.

Other Reports

Displays reports such as a Run-Time Log.

To view the description and the solutions for the issue, click the issue in the report. Not all of the issues reported by the Best Practices Analyzer affect the migration, but you should solve as many as of the issues as possible to ensure that the migration is successful.

Run the Windows Support Tools

If your server is running Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, you cannot use the Best Practices Analyzer, but you can use the Windows Support Tools to accomplish the same task. The following table lists the tools that you can use to diagnose issues on your server, network, and domain:

Tool Description

Netdiag.exe

Helps isolate networking and connectivity issues.

Dcdiag.exe

Analyzes the state of domain controllers in a forest or enterprise, and reports issues to assist you in troubleshooting.

Repadmin.exe

Assists you in diagnosing replication issues between domain controllers.

You should correct all the issues that these tools report before you proceed with the migration.