Last updated on: 2016-11-14
Authored by: Hounsou Dansou
This article provides recommended actions to perform before you migrate your Windows server to mitigate common issues and optimize your server for a faster transition. These recommendations are based on common issues identified by Rackspace support technicians and are not required operations. Some of these recommendations can cause significant downtime, so schedule them accordingly.
For Linux migration preparation, see Prepare to migrate a Linux server.
Before you perform a migration, create a tested, file-level backup of important data. Rackspace offers a backup solution, Cloud Backup, which requires a backup agent on the server. For instructions on installing this agent, see Rackspace Cloud Backup - Install the agent (Windows).
To set up your backup directory and a schedule for exporting your backup to Cloud Files, see the instructions at Rackspace Cloud Backup - Create a Backup.
Note: Cloud Backup does not back up live databases. If you want to use data from a live database, we recommend that you configure Microsoft SQL Server to create a local backup, and then use the Cloud Backup agent to create a backup of the database. For more information about configuring SQL Server to create local backups, see Create a maintenance backup place in SQL Server 2008 R2.
For more information about Cloud Backup, see https://www.rackspace.com/cloud/backup.
If the server is not fully patched, remaining patches might be installed during the migration, which will delay the operation. To prevent this issue, install all pending updates before beginning the migration. Use the following instructions appropriate for your server version.
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2
Click Start > Control Panel.
Click Windows Update to view the information related to updates ready to be installed.
If a green shield appears on the Windows Update page, the server has all patches applied. Otherwise, proceed with the installation of any pending updates.
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
To ensure that your server comes online after the migration, determine whether there are pending Windows updates that require a reboot or whether a reboot is already pending because of updates. Pending Windows updates can cause errors when run on a newly migrated server, so it is important to ensure that updates are completed before imaging or migrating a server and that any pending reboots are performed.
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2
Click Start > Control Panel.
Click Windows Update.
If there is a pending reboot, the page will display a message to restart the server. Reboot the server and apply the updates on reboot.
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
Remove or export all large or unused files. You can use Cloud Backup to export large files to Cloud Files.
Delete old logs.
If your database log is large, consider truncating it. Microsoft provides instructions at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms189493.aspx.
Rackspace recommends limiting disk activity during the migration because it increases the total amount of time needed to migrate the server. Normally the biggest contributor to disk activity is the database service Mssql. Before you begin this step, ensure that you have a maintenance page that informs your customers about ongoing maintenance.
During the migration, consider running your database in read only mode to stop all create and update operations. Run the following TSQL query on the database server.
ALTER DATABASE databaseName
SET READ_ONLY
WITH NO_WAIT
To make the server roll back all open connections, run the following query instead:
ALTER DATABASE databaseNeme
SET READ_ONLY
WITH ROLLBACK IMMEDIATE
If you prefer to stop the database service instead of putting the database in read only mode, use the following steps to stop the database service.
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2
Click Start > All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server > Configuration Tools > SQL Server Configuration Manager.
In the SQL Server Configuration Manager window, expand SQL Server Services.
In the right pane, right-click SQL Server (instanceName) and stop the service.
Note: instanceName is the instance name of the database server.
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
Move the cursor to the bottom right corner of the screen and activate the Charms bar.
Click on the search icon, and type “SQL Server Configuration Manager”.
On the ribbon under the search field, click SQL Server Configuration Manager.
In the SQL Server Configuration Manager window, expand SQL Server Services.
In the right pane, right click SQL Server (instanceName) and stop the service.
Note: instanceName is the instance name of the database server.
Review and confirm that all of the services critical to your processes are set to start automatically.
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2
After the server migration is complete, perform the following tasks:
Ensure that the server is online. Run the ping
command followed by your server’s IP address.
Ensure that the remote connection to the server works by initiating an RDP session to the server.
Ensure that all sites or applications load.
Ensure that the database is running and accessible. If you turned off the database service before the migration, turn on the database service.
If you have more than one server, ensure that they can communicate.
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