[gptalk] Re: Moving Server for Redirected Folders

I think there a few other options you may also want to consider but I am not so 
familiar with offline sync to know if this will work 100% or not:

 

But first: What is wrong with Server1? Is it going to remain in production? Out 
of disk space? Retiring? Having issues?

 

Second: Is Vista already supported or is the new share name an indication that 
Vista is coming soon to your users? If so will new workstations or upgraded 
operating systems be happening?

 

Just curious to know.

 

Depending on the answers to these questions we may be able to try  a few more 
things like this one as an example:

 

Instead of changing the UNC path to \\server2\documents- 
<file:///\\server2\documents->  migrate to a domain based DFS namespace like 
\\domain\documents <file:///\\domain\documents> 

 

Once you create the domain based namespace add Server1\myDocs as the primary 
server to copy data from and then add \\server2\documents 
<file:///\\server2\documents>  and an additional namespace server and setup 
replication. (Just make sure your DNS and WINS are setup and configured 
properly and that your AV settings match Microsoft Recommendations for DFS 
Servers)

 

If you really want to be slick you can create an isolated network that is 
routable from the network server1 is on put server2 on that network. Define 
that subnet as a new site in AD and then configure DFS to only allow users to 
connect to namespace servers in their local site. This will ensure that 
everyone stays on server1 and no functionality is in question during the data 
replication processing that may take some time. (This of course is assuming R2 
edition servers for DFS and-may even require a Win2k3 server enterprise license 
or 2)

 

Once you are sure the file/folder sync has completed on the servers you can 
move server2 back into the same network as Server1 and begin to run your 
scripts on user workstations for a few workstations or users at a time to 
reduce heavy server or network impact.

 

After a few weeks or lessà everyone will be cutover to the new server (using 
the domain DFS) and you can verify dfs replication and server/share connections 
and then move server1 to the isolated network (to allow for any leftover 
replications but to also ensure that no clients are able to use it- then 
decommission server1 after removing it as a namespace server.

 

I just don't know what happens when you run your script because you have to 
change the MyDocs location and I do not think there is a way to avoid the full 
sync of data from the client when you run the script? If there is no way to 
avoid the client doing a full offline sync between the server and workstations 
when the target is changed I wonder if copying the data between the servers is 
even necessary or more of a waste of time.

 

Too complicated? If so maybe take a peek at the File Server Migration Toolkit 
for some more tips on this

 

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/upgrading/nt4/tooldocs/msfsc.mspx

 

Omar

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R Contr 72 CS/SCBAF
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 11:47 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Moving Server for Redirected Folders

 

I am not that familiar with that utility, but as long as the user profile 
doesn't have to be loaded for it to work then I suppose a startup script 
probably would do the trick.

 

Regards,

Jamie Nelson

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of EIS Lists
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 1:33 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Moving Server for Redirected Folders

 

Right. So it might have to be a Startup Script. 

 

________________________________

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R Contr 72 CS/SCBAF
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 11:05 AM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Re: Moving Server for Redirected Folders

 

Actually, I just realized that the last component in the UNC path is different 
('mydocs' vs. 'documents'), so altering the DNS record wouldn't work unless you 
change the redirected path in GPO2  to \\server2\home\%username%\mydocs 
<file:///\\server2\home\%25username%25\mydocs> .

 

I don't think you could use a logon script either, because Folder Redirection 
usually occurs before Script policy is processed.

 

Regards,

Jamie Nelson

 

From: Nelson, Jamie R Contr 72 CS/SCBAF 
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 12:51 PM
To: 'gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: RE: [gptalk] Moving Server for Redirected Folders

 

Change the DNS entry for server1 to point to server2's IP. A little DNS 
trickery will usually work in cases like this.

 

Regards,

Jamie Nelson

 

From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of EIS Lists
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 12:46 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gptalk] Moving Server for Redirected Folders

 

Hello

I am trying to move redirected My Documents to a new server with as little 
impact on users as possible. Some of the files in the redirected folder have 
been made available offline by the users. 

 

Currently, My Docs points to \\server1\home\%username%\mydocs 
<file:///\\server1\home\%25username%25\mydocs>  . I have defined a new GPO that 
points to \\server2\home\%usersname%\documents 
<file:///\\server2\home\%25usersname%25\documents> . Some of the My Documents 
folders have several gigs of data. I realize that simply disabling GPO1 on 
Friday and enable GPO2 on Monday will move the data. My concern is that the 
network will get really bogged down. I would like to do the move manually over 
the weekend. The problem seems to be that files that have been added to or 
modified in the Offline Files cache get placed back in the server1 location. 

 

I can change that path using csccmd.exe. However, once the sync happens at 
login, it is too late. The files have already been placed back on server1. Can 
I run this as a Startup Script instead? Or is there a way to delay the syn 
until I have run that csccmd script? (The latter would be better since I could 
use the %username% variable.)

 

Any thoughts on this much appreciated.

 

Thanks.

Other related posts: