Evaluating Migration Requirements
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Organizations that deploy RMS need to establish a migration plan that minimizes server down time so that they can support server maintenance and upgrade scenarios without disrupting user access to RMS-protected content. Because the previous configuration and logging databases can be used by RMS, migrating RMS from one server to another should have a minimal impact on the organization if appropriate procedures are used. The migration scenario assumes that you want to use the existing databases; otherwise, you would perform a new installation of RMS.
If the RMS server that you are replacing uses a hardware security module (HSM), such as nCipher, you must transfer the HSM configuration to the new server before you install and provision RMS on the server. For instructions, see the documentation that came with your hardware security module.
Before you migrate:
Make sure that the databases are available.
Decide which computers will be used in the new installation.
To migrate your RMS installation, use the following steps:
Back up all components before you start the migration, which includes backing up databases, private keys, and the system state.
Ensure that the databases of the previous RMS installation are present on the database server that will be used for the new deployment.
Install and provision RMS on the appropriate servers, and specify the location of the databases.
A common scenario that causes migration of the RMS server is moving a pilot RMS deployment to a production environment. For more information this usage scenario, see “Migrating a Pilot Deployment to a Production Deployment” in the “Deploying RMS” in this documentation collection.