Migrate File Server from Server 2003 to 2008R2 or 2012

Although the title of the post mentions migrating the file server role, its really rather about migrating the data from an old Server 2003 file server to a new 2008 R2 or 2012 file server. The procedure for moving the data is the same, whether you are migrating to Server 2008 R2 or Server 2012. The data will be moved by utilizing the robocopy command-line tool.

Personally I like to move data in two steps. A couple of weeks before the old server is decommissioned, I perform an initial copy of data. Then the day before the old server is decommissioned, I copy the data for the final time. When I copy the data for the final time, I also use the /mir switch, which removes data on the destination folder, if it does not exist on the source any more.

All robocopy operations are incremental in nature. Which means that only new files/folders, or files that have changed will be copied. Obviously when you perform a robocopy operation for the first time, all folders and files are new on the destination server.

1. Syntax of Robocopy

The syntax for robocopy is robocopy source_folder destination_folder [File Selection Options] [Copy/logging/other options]

Personally I have never had any use for File Selection options.

2. Initial copy of data

Lets assume the 2003 file server’s name is 2003FS, while the 2008 R2 file server’s name is 2008R2FS. And we are going to move two folders, named Sales and Marketing, on the D-drive of the old server to the D-Drive of the new server. Then the syntax for copying data would be as following (the command will obviously be ran at the destination server)

robocopy \\2003FS\d$\Sales D:\Sales /e /zb /copy:DATSOU /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\sales.log /V /NP

robocopy \\2003FS\d$\Marketing D:\Marketing /e /zb /copy:DATSOU /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\marketing.log /V /NP

The switches I am using here, are explained as such:

/E :: copy subdirectories, including Empty ones.
/ZB :: use restartable mode; if access denied use Backup mode.
/COPY:copyflag[s] :: what to COPY for files (default is /COPY:DAT).
(copyflags : D=Data, A=Attributes, T=Timestamps).
(S=Security=NTFS ACLs, O=Owner info, U=aUditing info).

/R:n :: number of Retries on failed copies: default 1 million.
/W:n :: Wait time between retries: default is 30 seconds.

/LOG:file :: output status to LOG file (overwrite existing log).
/V :: produce Verbose output, showing skipped files.
/NP :: No Progress – don’t display percentage copied.

3. Copy data for the final time

robocopy \\2003FS\d$\Sales D:\Sales /e /zb /copy:DATSOU /mir /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\FinalMirror\Sales.log /v /NP

robocopy \\2003FS\d$\Marketing D:\Marketing /e /zb /copy:DATSOU /mir /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\FinalMirror\Sales.log /v /NP

I have included the /mir switch here

/MIR :: MIRror a directory tree (equivalent to /E plus /PURGE).

In other words, /mir will do the same as /e and /purge

/PURGE :: delete dest files/dirs that no longer exist in source.

Keep in mind, it will only delete files/dirs at the destination, NOT at the source. Some people believe, for some strange reason, that files at the source are deleted as well. That is NOT the case.

4. Synchronizing NTFS permissions and other file related properties only

If you forget to include the /copy:DATSOU or /copyall option for whatever reason, and now are looking for a switch on how to synchronize the NTFS permissions, or other file related properties, then you can use the /secfix option

/SECFIX :: FIX file SECurity on all files, even skipped files.

When using the /SECFIX copy option, specify the type of security information you want to copy by also using one of these additional copy options: /COPYALL /COPY:O /COPY:S /COPY:U /SEC

The following example synchronizes file security information for the Sales folder we copied from the 2003FS server earlier

robocopy \\2003FS\D$\Sales D:\Sales /secfix /copy:SOU /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\SecFix\Sales.log /V /NP

Remember this will only synchronize file security information between the source and the destination, it will not copy any files. To completely synchronize data and file security information, use the following command

robocopy \\2003FS\D$\Sales D:\Sales /e /zb /secfix /copy:DATSOU /mir /r:3 /w:3 /log:c:\robocopylog\FinalMirror\Sales.log /v /NP

5. The /MT option

/MT[:n] :: Do multi-threaded copies with n threads (default 8). n must be at least 1 and not greater than 128.
This option is incompatible with the /IPG and /EFSRAW options

Simply put, it will make the copy operation go faster, but use it with caution, if you define too many threads, you will saturate the network card of your server, or saturate the bandwidth of your network. Personally I rarely use this switch.

6. Caveat to copying in two phases

There is a small caveat to copying data in two phases. If someone changes only security information of a file/folder between phase 1 and phase 2, but not the content, that file/folder will be skipped during the copy process in phase 2, therefore the new NTFS permissions on the file will not be copied either.

The chances for someone to change only NTFS permissions on a file/folder between phase 1 and phase 2 might not be big, but they are certainly there. So if you know that might happen, you can use the /secfix option at phase 2 to copy NTFS permissions on files/folders, regardless of whether the file/folder has already been copied in phase 1 or not. The command you would use, is the final command in step 4 of this post.

Additional Resources:
Technet: Robocopy