Migration Week - It's Here

Thanks to all of the help and suggestions, I think I am pretty much ready for my SBS Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard migration.

First, this is my checklist, with most of it from the helpful post of JAMES FOR MICROSOFT.

• Order New Server
• Configure
• Install Windows Server 2012 R2
• Download All Updates
• Configure RAID Drives
• Currently Set As:
• Set Roles On Server
• Hypervisor
• Old Server Prep
• Run dcdiag
• Results
• Services
• IsmServ Service is stopped on [PINNSTRDC]
• System Log
• An Error Event occured.  EventID: 0x00000457
• 8 Of These
• Set Current Domain Functional Level to Windows Server 2003
• Locate your FSMO Roles
• All On Main Server
• Schema Master
• Domain naming master
• Infrastructure Master
• Relative ID (RID) Master
• PDC Emulator
• Prepare your Domain for your new Server 2012 R2 Domain Controllers
• Run adprep /forstprep from the 2012 DVD on the old server.
• Set Up Virtual Machines
• Install Windows Server 2012 R2 and make it a Domain Controller
• Add the AD role.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh472162
• After adding the AD DS role and DNS roles to your new Windows 2012 R2 Server simply click the link under Post-deployment configuration from your server manager titled "Promote this server to a Domain Controller"
• Walk through the wizard and add your new domain controller to your existing domain.
• Transfer FSMO Roles to new Server 2012 R2 Domain Controller
• Transfer all 5 or one at a time and start demoting your old Server 2003 DC's in the next step. But the key to remember is to NOT demote any of the current domain controllers that have any of your FSMO roles on them. Be sure to transfer them off first before proceeding to DC demotion.
• http://blogs.technet.com/b/canitpro/archive/2013/05/27/step-by-step-active-directory-migration-from-windows-server-2003-to-windows-server-2012.aspx
• Demote old Server 2003 Domain Controllers
• Run dcpromo and follow steps.
• Remember: Do NOT demote any domain controller that does not have FSMO roles on them.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc740017%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
• Raise Domain Functional Level
• Raise the functional level by opening Active Directory Domains and Trusts. Then right click on domain and trusts and select "Raise Forest Functional Level"
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730985.aspx
• Migration Complete! :)

• Copy Files Over
• Use Robocopy to copy files over to new server
• AntiVirus Suite Migration
• Backups
• Reconfigure Backups due to new server.
• Schedule in Hyper-V backups.
• May need to be ran from spare server. Will depend on backup times.
• Verifications
• VPN
• Printing
• Login
• Permissions
• Shortcuts
• Login Scripts
• Workstations

Our current SBS 2003 Domain Controller is basically the domain and file server. No Exchange or anything else really. We used to print serve from it until it was to difficult to do with the onset of 64 bit printer drivers.

Since I am a solo IT shop, I don't have a team to bounce ideas off of, so my fellow Spiceheads are my team. Feel free to chime in on the list.

One question comes to mind...I can still use the same domain name, correct? Just need a new server name or does the domain name need to change to? If that's the cause, do I need to remove every workstation from the old domain and re-add to the new?

Thanks!