Microsoft Windows Server

Step by step Migrate Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory Domain Services To Windows Server 2012.

Migrate Server 2008 to 2012, In this blog, I am using my Server2008 (windows server 2008 R2 STD SP1) and my SRV2012 (new Windows Server 2012 Standard)

Migrate Server 2008 R2 Active Directory To Server 2012

1- First we need to use a domain account which is a member of Domain Admins and Enterprise Admins Groups and member of the Schema Admins group. I am using the domain Administrator account which is already a member of all these groups.

server 2008 administrator properties

How to Raise the Forest Functional Levels and Domain Functional Levels in Windows Server 2008 R2.

2- Click Start, select Administrative Tools, then Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

server 2008 administrator tools

3- Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts and then select the Raise Forest Functional Level.

server 2008 domains and trusts

4- Select an available forest functional level “Windows Server 2008 R2 and then click Raise.

server 2008 raise forest functional level

5- Click OK.

server 2008 raise the forest functional level

6- The functional level was raised successfully, so click ok.

forest functional level raised successfully

Now Raising the Function Level of the Domain

7- Right click on the Domain name, (xpertstec.local) and then click Raise Domain Functional Level.

server 2008 raise domain functional level

8- It has already got raised the Domain Functional Level to Windows Server 2008 R2, so click Close.

server 2008 current domain functional level

Prepare the Active Directory Schema for Windows Server 2012

9- Insert the Windows Server 2012 installation disk into the Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain Controllers.

10- Click Start > right click prompt > select Run as administrator.

CMD run as administrator

11- Type D: and press Enter D is the windows server 2012 installation disk.

12- Type the command cd d:\support\adprep

server 2008 adprep command

13- Now type adprep /forestprep

server 2008 adprep forestprep command

14- Type the letter C and then press enter

server 2008 adprep command

15- And then type adprep /domainprep and then press enter.

server 2008 domainprep command
server 2008 adprep domainprep command

Install Windows Server 2012 and join it to the Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller.

17- How to Install Windows Server 2012, Click here

18- How to change the computer name in Windows Server 2012, Click here

19- You will also need to set up the IP Address of the SRV2012 server.

server 2012 desktop

internet protocol ipv4 properties

How to Join Windows Server 2012 to a Domain Controller.

21- How to Join Windows Server 2012 to a Domain, Click here.

22- After the server reboots, we need to logon to the server with a domain administrator username. So Click on the Switch User button.

server 2012 user login

23- Click other user.

server 2012 other user

24-Type the domain administrator username and password. The domain name will be replaced beside Sign in to :xpertstec

server 2012 domain login

Setup Additional Domain Controller

25- How To Create Additional Domain Controller (ADC) In Windows Server 2012, Step by step, Click here.

26- After setting an Additional Active Directory Domain Controller.

server 2012 desktop

Transferring the Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) Role.

I have a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller ( server2008 ) and have an additional Windows Server 2012 domain controller (SRV2012). to finish the migration, we’d like to transfer 5 FSMO roles to the new domain controller.

  1. Schema Master
  2. Domain Naming Master
  3. PDC
  4. RID pool manager
  5. Infrastructure Master

27- To find who is currently holding FSMO > open command prompt > so run the following command, netdom query fsmo

netdom query fsmo server 2008

The FSMO Server roles are currently with the Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller (server2008).

Using Active Directory Schema Master snap-in to transfer the Schema Master role.

Migrate Server 2008 to 2012

28- Open Command Prompt in administrative mode and then type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll

regsvr32 command

29- Open Microsoft Management Console MMC

server 2012 desktop search mms

30- Click File and then select Add/Remove Snap-in…

server 2012 add remove snap in

31- From the left side, under Available Snap-ins > select Active Directory Schema > then click Add and click ok.

server 2012 add remove snap in

Change Domain Controller

32- Right click Active Directory Schema and then select Change Active Directory Domain Controller.

server 2012 console root

33- Select this Domain Controller or AD LDS Instance > click on the domain controller that you want to be the schema master role and then click ok.

change active directory server 2012

34- Click ok.

change directory schema snap in

35- In the console1, right click Active Directory Schema [SRV2012.xpertstec.local] and then select Operations Master.

change directory schema operations master

36- Click Change.

change directory schema operations master

37- Click Yes.

change directory change schema master

38- Operations Master successfully transferred, so click ok.

change directory schema master

39- Now confirm your current schema master which is SRV2012, so click close.

change directory change schema

Using Active Directory Domains and Trusts to transfer the Domain Naming Master Role.

40- From the Start Screen, open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

server 2012 desktop

41- Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts and then select Change Active Directory Domain Controller.

domains and trusts operations master

42- Select this Domain Controller or AD LDS Instance > click on the domain controller that you want to be the schema master role and then click ok.

change directory server 2012

43- Right click Active Directory Domains and Trusts and then select Operations Master.

domains and trusts server 2008

44- Click YES to confirm the transfer of the Domain Naming role.

domains and trusts role transfer

45- The operations master was successfully transferred, so click ok.

domains and trusts role transferred

46- Confirmed the domain naming operation master role and then click close.

domains and trusts role transferred

Using Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to transfer.

RID, PDC, and Infrastructure Roles.

47- From the Start Screen, open the Active Directory Users and Computers.

server 2012 desktop

48- On the SRV2012 server > open Active Directory Users and Computers, right-click on your domain xpertstec.local and then click Operations Masters.

active directory 2012 operations masters

49- On the Operations Masters, Select RID, then select the Change button.

active directory 2012 operations masters rid

50- Click Yes.

active directory 2012 operations masters role

51- The operations master role was successfully transferred, so click ok.

active directory 2012 operations masters role transferred

52- Verify that Operation master now transferred to our new Server SRV2012.xpertstec.local

active directory 2012 operations masters rid

53- On the Operations Masters > Select PDC and then select the Change button.

active directory 2012 operations masters pds

54- Click Yes.

active directory 2012 operations masters transfer role

55- The operations master role was successfully transferred, so click ok.

active directory 2012 operations masters transferred

56- Verify that Operation master now transferred to our new Server SRV2012.xpertstec.local

active directory 2012 operations masters pdc

57- On the Operations Masters > select Infrastructure and then select the Change button.

active directory 2012 operations masters infrastructure

58- Are you sure you want to transfer the operation master role, so click on Yes.

active directory 2012 transfer role

59- The operations master role was successfully transferred and then click on ok.

active directory 2012 operations masters transferred

60- Verify that Operation master now transferred to our new Server SRV2012.xpertstec.local

active directory 2012 operations masters infrastructure

61- Now we need to check if the roles were properly transferred > open command prompt and type “netdom query fsmo” you have successfully transferred all of your FSMO roles to the SRV2012.

Now Migrate Server 2008 to Server 2012 Completed

netdom query fsmo server 2012

Now the final step is to remove (uninstall) server2008 Active Directory domain controller.

Remove Active Directory Server 2008

62- Click Start > click Run type dcpromo and then click on ok.

run command

63- Welcome to the Active Directory domain services installation wizard, click next.

run dcpormo server 2008

64- The Active Directory domain controller has the global catalog service, make sure your primary DC also has the service enabled and then click ok.

active directory install wizard

65- Confirmed that the Delete this domain, because this server is the last domain controller in the domain, is UNCHECKED and click on next.

active directory installation wizard

66- Type a password for the Administrator account on this server and click next.

active directory installation wizard

67- Review the summary (remove active directory domain services from this computer) and click next.

active directory 2008 installation wizard

68- Check the Reboot on completion box to restart the server after the service has been removed.

active directory 2008 setup dcpromo

69- After rebooting server2008 DC Login and open Server Manager.

server 2008 start menu

70- In Server Manager under Roles Summary, click Remove Roles.

server manager 2008

71- Remove server roles wizard, click next.

server 2008 remove roles wizard

72- Uncheck Active Directory Domain Services, DNS Server and click next.

server 2008 remove roles dns

73- Confirm removal selection and click Remove.

server 2008 confirm remove roles

74- Active directory domain service removal results restart pending, click Close.

server 2008 remove roles result

75- Do you want to restart now, click Yes.

server 2008 uninstalling domain

76- After rebooting server log back to server2008, active directory domain services removal succeeded and click Close.

server 2008 removal results

Unjoin the Windows server 2008 machine from the domain.

77- Click Start > right-click computer and select properties.

server 2008 desktop

78- From windows server 2008 system properties, click change settings.

server 2008 system properties

79- On the System Properties click Change.

server 2008 change name

80- Select workgroup type in a workgroup name and click ok.

server 2008 name workgroup

81- After you leave the domain a warning message appears, click ok.

server 2008 computer name change

82- Welcome to the workgroup, click ok.

server 2008 welcome to workgroup

83- Click ok to restart the server.

server 2008 how to rename

84- System Properties, click Close.

you must restart your computer

85- Click restart now or restart later and then shut down this server.

computer name server 2008

For more details click here

Jamil Parvez

Jamil Pervez works as a Network Administrator, based in Kuwait with a Primary focus on Microsoft technologies. Microsoft Certified MCSE, MCTP, MCITP, CCNP, CCIP, CCVP with 20 years of experience in administering Windows Servers, Exchange, VMWare, Veeam B&R, Veritas BackupExec.

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