[THIN] Re: OT - freeware desktop profile utility for domain migrations
- From: "Jim Hathaway" <JimH@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Jul 2004 09:19:59 -0700
Good point Jeff.
In my particular situation however, there is very little from the old
domain that will actually be truely migrated to the new. SIDhistory
migration in particular is something they want to avoid with this
migration, in fact all users are getting brand new accounts w/ a
different namming convention in the new domain. Truely the only pieces
from the old domain that will be moving to the new are the workstations
themselves, and of course the local profiles of the end users.
So in my case, the Profwiz tool should fit the bill nicely. Combined
with a clean up script I'm wrapping up to take care of the ghost profile
and a few other minor issues, the migration of the desktops I'm planning
should be quick and relativly painless. **knock on wood**
Great link on a pretty much un-discussed featureset of the ADMT though.
Thanks,
J
________________________________
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Jeff Durbin
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 2004 9:28 PM
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] Re: OT - freeware desktop profile utility for domain
migrations
Why not just use ADMT? It's also free, and it will migrate machine
accounts and local user profiles. Also supports a command-line option to
migrate local profiles:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/de
ployguide/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/200
3/all/deployguide/en-us/dssbg_rent_vgkz.asp
JD
________________________________
From: thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:thin-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim Hathaway
Sent: Wednesday, 28 July 2004 5:22 a.m.
To: thin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [THIN] OT - freeware desktop profile utility for domain
migrations
Just thought I'd share this with you folks, even if it's not
really terminal services related. :)
I'm currently in the process of planning a medium sized domain
migration (a few thousand seats), and was trying to find an answer to
the excessive amount of time that can go into the process of migrating
end user's desktop local profiles with their workstations when they get
moved into the new domain.
After a great deal of searching I stumbled across this awesome
little utility that makes the process of migrating workstations and user
profiles to new domains a snap.
http://www.forensit.com/Profwiz%5CDefault.htm
<http://www.forensit.com/Profwiz%5CDefault.htm>
In a very simple approach to the problem, this utilty "shares"
whatever local machine or domain profile you specify with whatever
domain account you specify. No file copies, and almost no time needs to
be spent at desktops for this to run in the freeware version. You can
get a corporate version that allows for command line syntax, so the
whole process of migrating your profiles and desktops can be done from a
login script.
The website has a general run down of what the utility does,
below is a more specific breakout of the only issue I've seen with the
application . . It leaves behind a "ghost" profile on a migrated system.
- machine is currently in DomainA, with "userA" logging
into it w/ a local profile.
- You run the utility to allow "UserB" from "DomainB" to
access the profile of "UserA", and you move the machine into "DomainB".
- on next boot, the domain list will default to
"DomainA", you need to change it to "DomainB".
- UserB is able to login to DomainB, and the
profile they get is the profile for "UserA"
- When logged in as an admin to the machine and looking
at the "profile list" that displays by right clicking "my computer"
going to "advanced" and "user profiles" you'll see 2 profiles listed.
- domainA\userA, and domainB\userB.
- If you look under C:\documents and settings\, you only
see the profile directory for "UserA".
Here's the trick with this. The way this utility works
is to "share" the root profile you define, and then to "trick" the OS
into using the old profile with whatever other account you've specified.
So if you "delete" from the profile list either "userA", or "userB" you
are deleting the profile that you just moved, because they both point to
the same location \ profile.
For the amount of time this utility saves, this issue is very
minimal, and could likely be resolved with a follow up script that
removes the refrence to the old domain and user name in the profile list
from the registry.
Hope this helps others out there.
J
Other related posts:
