Upgrade server. Win server 2003 to 2008

[chowmouse]

Hi all

I am a bit of a novice when it comes to upgrading server software.
I run a small business of approx 150 employees. We have a server
which runs windows server 2003. This is our microsoft exchange server.

Is there for symantec backup exec system recovery 8 to help me
with the changeover. Since I will be changing server AND OS's
I will be starting from scratch so obviously I would need to
backup everything I can from 2003 and restore it to 2008. If exec recovery
isn't suitable for what I need then what would be?

Also if there is anything I should need to know regarding the change please
let me know.
As far as I know I just need to install server 2008 R2 on the new HP server
and then restore the backup.

Thanks in advance
Mitchell

[David_F]

Hi Mitchell,

Backup Exec System Recovery 8 and newer versions, "restores," a disk image of a specific point in time to either the same hardware from which it originally came from or to new hardware. Anything that might have been installed on the system being restored prior to the restore attempt would be lost at the end of the restore process. If you are wanting to migrate just the data from 2k3 to 2k8r2, once the equivalent applications from the 2k3 system has been installed on the 2k8r2 (like Exchange), and methods for Exchange and AD migration could not be performed between these two systems across the network, you would simply mount the recovery point image as a virtual drive and manually extract the data (i.e. Like your Exchange information stores) onto the new system and configure the applications to use the older data. This is easier said than done, so if I was in your situation I would consider obtaining a consultant or maybe the professional services from the vendor you have purchased the new server from to assist in the migration of data to the new system.

-Dave