Demote and remove the Source Server from the new Windows SBS 2011 Essentials network

  • Article

Published: March 10, 2011

Updated: May 12, 2011

Applies To: Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials

Perform the following procedures to demote the Source Server:

  1. Remove Active Directory Certificate Services.

  2. Force a Group Policy update on client computers.

  3. Demote the Source Server.

  4. Remove the Source Server from AD DS.

  5. Remove and repurpose the Source Server.

Remove Active Directory Certificate Services

If you have multiple Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) role services installed on a single server, you can use the following procedure to uninstall one AD CS role service while retaining other AD CS role services.

To complete the following procedure, you must log on to the Source Server by using the same permissions as the user who installed the Certification Authority. If you are uninstalling an enterprise Certification Authority, you must be a member of Enterprise Admins or a group with equivalent privileges.

To remove Active Directory Certificate Services

  1. Log on to the Source Server as a domain administrator.

  2. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.

  3. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Yes.

  4. In the Roles Summary section, click Remove Roles.

  5. In the Remove Roles Wizard, click Next.

  6. Clear the Active Directory Certificate Services check box, and then click Next.

  7. On the Confirm Removal Options page, review the information, and then click Remove.

Note

If Internet Information Services (IIS) is running, you are prompted to stop the service before proceeding. Click OK.

  1. When the Remove Roles Wizard finishes, restart the server to complete the uninstallation process.

Important

Restart the server even if you are not prompted to do so.

Force a Group Policy update on client computers

Important

The Source Server and the Destination Server must be connected to the network while the Group Policy changes are updated on the computers on the network. If you are about to demote and disconnect the Source Server from the network, ensure that Group Policy settings are applied to all computers on the network.

To force a Group Policy update on a client computer

  1. Log on to the client computer as an administrator.

  2. Open a Command Prompt window as an administrator. For more information, see To open a Command Prompt window as an Administrator. If the client computer is running Windows XP, you must be logged in as the administrator of the client computer.

  3. At the command prompt, type gpupdate /force, and then press ENTER.

  4. If you are prompted to log off and log on again to finish, click Yes to confirm.

Demote the Source Server

To demote the Source Server

  1. On the Source Server, click Start, click Run, type dcpromo, and then click OK.

  2. Click Next twice.

Important

Do not select This server is the last domain controller in the domain.

  1. Type a password for the new Administrator account on the server, and then click Next.

  2. In the Summary dialog box, you are told that AD DS will be removed from the computer and that the server will become a member of the domain. Click Next.

  3. Click Finish. The Source Server restarts.

  4. After the Source Server restarts, make it a member of a workgroup, and then disconnect it from the network.

Remove the Source Server from AD DS

To remove the Source Server from AD DS

  1. On the Destination Server, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. In the User Account Control window, click Continue if prompted.

  3. In the Active Directory Users and Computers navigation pane, expand the domain name, and then expand Computers.

  4. Right-click the Source Server name if it still exists in the list of servers, click Delete, and then click Yes.

  5. Verify that the Source Server is not listed, and then close Active Directory Users and Computers.

Remove and repurpose the Source Server

Turn off the Source Server and disconnect it from the network. We recommend that you do not reformat the Source Server for at least one week to ensure that all the necessary data migrated to the Destination Server. After you have verified that all the data has migrated, you can reinstall this server on the network as a secondary server for other tasks, if required.

Note

After you demote and remove the Source Server, restart the Destination Server.

After you demote the Source Server, it is not in a healthy state. If you want to repurpose the Source Server, the simplest way is to reformat it, install a server operating system, and then set it up for use as an additional server.

Next topic: Optional post-migration tasks for Windows SBS 2011 Essentials migration

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