Updating the DS server and moving it to new hardware.

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• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

Question

New hardware has been received and Deployment Server is to be transfered and updated to this new hardware.

What steps need to be done to accomplish this?

 

Resolution

Answer
The following steps assume that the new hardware is going to keep the same hostname and IP address of the old Deployment server and the OS has been installed on the new hardware but not the sql.

Step 1>   Create a backup of the express database (express.bak) or detach the express.mdf and express_log.ldf to be copied to the new server and move to the new server. 
Optional: If the pxe files are to be kept also, the transfer the pxemanager.ini file and the master images directory over to the new hardware.

Step 2>   Shutdown the old ds server.

Step 3>   Rename and change the IP of the new ds to the name and IP of the old ds server.

Step 4>   Install the sql version of your choice. (sql installs using the host name of the computer and doing the install of the sql after the new server name change makes it easier.  Advanced admins can ignore this)

Step 5>   Restore or attach the express database to the new sql.

 

Step 6>   Begin the installation of the new ds server on the new hardware.

Optional:

Step 7>   If the pxe boot images are to be kept and transfered over to the new server, then follow KB KB 181897 to accomplish this.

In conculsion:

The ds server can be moved to a different server with no issue if the hostname and IP address is kept.  If the hostname and IP cannot or willnot be kept, then a few extra steps will need to be taken.

Step 2 alternate>  Before shutting down the old ds server, right click on all computers and goto change agent setting > production agent and in the "Connect directly to this deployment server", put in the hostname or the ip address of the new ds server.

Sql can be installed before shutting down the old ds server and the express db can be restored or reattached.

Step 7 can be done, but the amount of work involved to do this (the old pxe boot images will have to be regenerated to point to the new server IP) would make creating new boot images as fast if not faster and the remote pxe sites will still need to be reinstalled so that they point to the right ds server IP.