[gptalk] Re: Moving Server for Redirected Folders
- From: "EIS Lists" <eis_lists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:42:26 -0700
Wow, Omar, thanks for the thoughts. To answer your questions, server1 is out
of warranty and space. Server1 is actually several physical servers that are
past their prime. So, yes, they are eventually going out of production. We
are actually migrating to an R2 DFS namespace with some replication. The DFS
will point to an entirely new file server (that connects to an iSCSI SAN).
The existing machines run W2k SP4. I am pretty sure that we could use them
in the namespace but not with replication.
As for the Documents change, it is a nod to the coming of Vista (sort of
feels like the Plague sweeping across Europe in the 14th century). We don't
have any Vista boxes yet, but we know it is coming.
In the end, we may, as you suggest, just have to let the clients do the move
of their mydocs. Copying it for them may not work. Well, there will be lots
of folks lined up at the coffee machine on Monday morning waiting for their
logins to finish ;-)
Thanks again.
_____
From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Omar Droubi
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2007 2:27 PM
To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [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 less--> 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.
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