Topic: Go from Win 2000 to SME 7 RC2

[beeboob]

Hey all....

Verly hope that you can help me. And i hope that many want to replay on this tread.

I am in that siuation, that i have are server who need are upgrade. Some have ask me if i can do it. And i was thinking it cut bee are fun thing, if SME 7 can.

I have test the SME7. And like it very must.

Do any have some tips, tricks, answer, howto or other things i can use. So i can make overview, over if i go from Win 2000  >> SME 7.

The Win server:
I have 2 server.
One for backup of the other.
AD & Exchange

If it is going to bee SME 7, i need to bee in that siuation where, in know what to do. I can plan it.

I hope you can understand it. And want to help me...

[andy_wismer]

Hi
I just migrated a small Hotel for whom I do the IT.
The used to have 4 Servers:
1 NT PDC / Exchange 5.5
1 W2K Application Server
2 SuSE 9.0 Linux Server doing routing, WLAN and mail protection for Exchange.

Replaced with new Hardware:
1 W2K Application Server
1 SME 7 Server on HP Proliant ML110 with 2* SATA 250 GB

The Domain was recreated in SME with the same name.

All PCs had the current user profile saved to default user. We only use W2K clients on the PCs, and 1-2 XP Notebooks.

PCs removed from NT Domain, NT PDC turned off.
SME changed from Workgroup to Domain with the same Domain Name as before. Clients added to the new SME Domain.

Users recreated on SME. Mail Aliases recreated.

Mail stored from Exchange to PST using EXMerge

Printers created on SME

PCs configured with Thunderbird as Mailclient (Calender and To-Do weren't really being used, the Hotel Software is their Calender.). Reimported the PST to Outlook, from there to SME Server IMAP.

Transferred Data / Files / Userhomes.

It's running under http://intranet.swisshotel-zug.ch but there's no web page there yet.

Up since two weeks, works great.

The W2K has remote desktop (It's the server version...), I can use that to administrate the Network from a local aspect.

The whole Net is protected with a Sonicwall firewall, so the SME is running in Server-Only mode.

Mail works well, besides a few DNS related entries (Known Issue...) about not finding a domain.

The SME is now primary Domain Controller, Web-Server, Proxy, File & Print, MySQL, Monitoring (Big Brother, Squid/Webalizer, SNMP/MRTG).

Active Directory is not needed here, the Windows applications needed just require Domain authentification.

One of the old SuSE Servers is now running FreeNAS as a separate NAS HD-Backup outside the Server Room.

The hotel provides free WLan for guests, even a free surfstation next to the reception (Good for Business travellers...).

I don't regret the move to SME

To the SME Team: Great Work!

[beeboob]

Many thanks for it... Very interesting.

I only have 2 Ibm Xseries 235 whit Win 2000. In this case...

But it will be very interesting if i can make the admistration off the network from are other ting than W2K.

Mybe this is 2 question in 1. Can you change your W2K out whit other thing? That can run one are SME.. or do it are other way so SME is doing all off the jobs.

[andy_wismer]

Hi BeeBoop

You don't need the W2K locally to administrate the SME Server, I use the Server Manager with https and SSH for other stuff.

I use the W2K only because of the "Hotel Application", which runs in a Win32 environment. It's also practical, so I can check their Windows environment form a local view, even if I'm halfway across the world. Network Drives, TwixTel (Telephone Application here in Switzerland), Printers. The Printers are HP 5 (Very old, works still well after the last revision 1.5 years back) and HP 2430 both LAN connected.

I haven't personnaly connected a printer to a PC in the last seven years. If it can't be LAN connected (Built-In or with Printserver-Box), then it isn't a printer, it's a toy!

I do speak english, german, french, perl, php, c, vbb - but I profess dificulty in understanding "Mybe this is 2 question in 1. Can you change your W2K out whit other thing? That can run one are SME.. or do it are other way so SME is doing all off the jobs."

A bit more clearer please

I'm using SME 6 at about ten clients, 8 run as master in their environment. 4 SME 7 are already in use, three as master, one to protect a Windows 2000 SBS from Spam. All work great!!!

[beeboob]

Ok, you was answer my question.

What i mean, was. That i want the Windows server out. And only run SME.

I are network we all need, some kind off manage the klients and administrate the network...

I now believer that i can, go over to only SME.

I think the job whit the printeres i, not so big are job. If there is are list whit printeres there is made for SME. Then we just can change them. Time over  time

Hope you understand this better.... You have been i my siuation,,,

[arne]

It is a while since last time I set up a printer for SME and I ave only done it for SME 5.6 and 6.0.1

I think that the point is that the SME sever only handle printer ques in a "raw ata" format, so there is no need to install a printer driver on the SME server itself.

The printer drivers is instead istalled on each of the workstations.

In this way the SME server can support "all" or most Windows printers, if the workstations is based on Windows.

The printer can not be of that type that dont have its own memory, but chear memory with a Windows workstatio.

I used some old HP Lazer printers ant this worked without a problem.

Please correct me if I should be inncorrect or if things have changedwith the SME 7.0 revision.

Best reg Arne.

[arne]

correction .. "raw data format"

[beeboob]

It sound like it is, not so hard are job to get are network printer to work. In are network whit windows client...

But i have try to setup are Brother network printer, and some off the client (WinXp Home) can not print on that. Only on are HP printer. Where the HP is connect to the LPT on one off the clients?

Strange..

But is there are webpage, whit hardware, there is test on SME and SME network?? Maybe where SME user, have write there, hardware they are using  on there SME system?

[wjhobbs]

The Domain was recreated in SME with the same name.

All PCs had the current user profile saved to default user. We only use W2K clients on the PCs, and 1-2 XP Notebooks.

PCs removed from NT Domain, NT PDC turned off.
SME changed from Workgroup to Domain with the same Domain Name as before. Clients added to the new SME Domain.

Users recreated on SME. Mail Aliases recreated.

Mail stored from Exchange to PST using EXMerge

Printers created on SME

PCs configured with Thunderbird as Mailclient (Calender and To-Do weren't really being used, the Hotel Software is their Calender.). Reimported the PST to Outlook, from there to SME Server IMAP.

Transferred Data / Files / Userhomes.

I'd like to know a little more about how you did the conversion.

I am adding a SME server to an existing LAN that has a Win NT box acting as PDC and application server. They would like to have the NT box be just an app server.

My problem is that I know nothing about NT and PDC.

What I had planned to do was install the SME in server-only mode, get all the users on that box using it as file and mail server -- and then tackle the move of PDC to SME.

Can you tell me if this is a bad idea?

Also, how do you turn off PDC on the NT box?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

John

[andy_wismer]

Hi

A few things about Windows NT Domains (Actually common knowledge since 1996...):

Windows NT Server can be setup as a PDC or BDC, or as a member server or stand alone. Stand alone can be made to a member server any time, vica versa works too.

A NT PDC or BDC can not "officially" be changed to member server or stand alone. At least not according to official M$ writ...

But this trick helps changing a PDC/BDC to a member server, retaining most if not all application settings.

Reinstall NT from the CD or from i386. The installation will at some time "discover" the existing installation and offer to "repair" or update the installation. An update/repair can work, you get to choose what the server should become (PDC, BDC, member, stand-alone).

You still need to update using SP6 and all hotfixes. YMMV...

I would suggest:

Setup the SME server with a fitting name.
Update erverything.
Setup windows networking on SME with the same domain name as the PDC uses.
Create shares (ibays!)
Copy over data
Create users and groups
Create or adapt the logon batch (logon.bat or netlogon.bat in the share NETLOGON)
Save the users profiles (See other post...)
Remove the PCs from the domain to a workgroup (Same name as domain or simply workgroup)
Unhook the PDC from the LAN
Change the SME to PDC
Add all PCs to the SME Domain
Update the old PDC to server or member

Basically, this can be done in two days or three, but don't forget backups before starting!

Just moved another swiss school from Win2003 Server to SME7

YMMV, regards

Andy

[andy_wismer]

Hi again!

Basic:

A Windows NT Domain can provide the following to Client PC (Dos-Win2003):
Single SignOn
DNS
DHCP
File Server
Print Server
Exchange (Groupware)
SQL Server
Home Directories
Policys for PCs/Users
Permissions
Print Server
Web/FTP SErver (IIS)

Most of these services and more are out of the box on SME...

YMMV

[beeboob]

Hey

Sorry, I have just see the mail today, about the post today...

But what we want to do is. We have not make it jet. Because we are wating on new hdd for the server.

I the server there is only 2 x 33.6 gb scsi hdd, So we have order 2 new ones to every server.

There is only 20 user, so we just, want to add the user in the "normal" way.

We are so lucky that we have are other SME server running out side the Lan.

So we have make are temp/test imap folder for each user. And copy and paste all there mails to that imap...

We have make are Ibay only for that job, on the server outside the lan. And copy and paste all off there data to that Ibay. Maybe it is lazay,

But we make the Ibay whit "access from outside the lan whit password" And when wee are finish, access to the server whot ssh, and change the Ibay access. To no access outside lan.

When all data and mail are back on the new sme server. We delete the tmp imap account and the ibay on the outside server.

Then we add all user, printer, make Ibay and so one.

Make some groups. there is 10 user ther need to get access to the same data. So are group for thoes 10 user.....

The next step is to get the Ldap working and install are CRM or Groupware.

We all so make some VPN access and some other things. But that is some extra thing. They dont have that, on there WIn server. But we want to give them that extra service...