MICROSOFT LIVE SUPPORT: How to migrate DHCP server on Windows

The Windows Server Migration Tools are a series of PowerShell cmdlets. These tools can be installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system from the Add Features Wizard in Server Manager or downloaded offhttp://www.microsoft.com/migration. The Windows Server Migration Tools can be used to migrate services between source servers running Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 to destination Windows Server 2008 R2 systems. DHCP is one of the services that can be migrated with these tools. One of the major advantages of this tool is the fact that it will migrate not only scope information, but it will also migrate the existing leases on the source server scope.

Before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be used to migrate DHCP services from one server to another, the tools will need to be installed on both the source and destination servers. Because the Windows Server Migration Tools are included with Windows Server 2008 R2, the tool must be packaged and installed on Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 systems if the source servers are running either of these operating systems. The overall process of using the Windows Server Migration Tools to migrate DHCP services is as follows:

1. Verify that the DHCP server settings, scopes, and scope options on the source DHCP server are the desired settings to migrate, and adjust as necessary.
2. Install the Windows Server Migration Tools on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system.
3. Create a deployment folder for the correct operating system (Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008) and platform (x86 or amd64) from a command prompt on the Windows Server 2008 R2 system with the Window Server Migration Tools installed.
4. Install or verify that the Windows Server Migration Tools prerequisites are installed on the source and destination servers, which include the latest Windows PowerShell for the specific operating system and platform.
5. Install the Windows Server Migration Tools package on the desired source and destination DHCP servers.
6. Run the Windows Server Migration Tools export cmdlet, locally, on the source DHCP server and copy the export files to the destination DHCP server.
7. Unauthorize the source DHCP server and change the IP address or remove the system from the network permanently.
8. Add the original source DHCP server IP address to the destination server as a primary IPv4 address on a network adapter.
9. Run the Windows Server Migration Tools import cmdlet, locally, on the destination DHCP server.
10. Enable the DHCP Server service, start it, and verify the imported settings.
11. Authorize the DHCP server.

Installing the Windows Server Migration Tools on Windows Server2008 R2

Before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be used to migrate DHCP services between servers, it must be installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system. To install the Windows Server Migration Tools, perform the following steps:

1. Choose Start, All Programs, Administrative Tools, Server Manager. In the console tree, right-click on Features and then click Add Features to start the Add Features Wizard.
2. On the Select Features page, scroll down the list of features and select the check box next to Windows Server Migration Tools; then click Next to continue.
3. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install to begin installing the Windows Server Migration Tools.
4. On the Installation Results page, review the results and click Close to complete the installation.

Creating the Deployment Folder Package of the Windows Server Migration Tools for Down-Level Operating System Installation

When DHCP services will be migrated to a Windows Server 2008 R2 DHCP server from a source Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 system, the Windows Server Migration Tools will need to be packaged for deployment and installation on those down-level operating systems. To build the deployment folder package, perform the following steps:

Installing the Windows Server Migration Tools on Windows Server 2003 DHCP Server

Before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be installed on a Windows Server 2003 system, the .NET Framework 2.0 must be installed as well as the latest Windows PowerShell. Download and install these two prerequisites and also download any security updates for these add-ons. Once those steps are completed, perform the following steps before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be used:

1. Using an account with administrator permissions, log on to the Windows Server 2003 x86 DHCP server.
2. Click Start and select Run.
3. Type in the location where the Server Migration Tools package for this operating system is stored (for this example, \\server20\downloads\).
4. Locate the “SMT_ws03_x86” folder that was created previously, right-click the folder, and choose Copy.
5. Click Start and select Run.
6. Type c:\ and click OK.
7. On the root of the C: drive, right-click on a blank space and click Paste to create the c:\SMT_ws03_x86 folder on the Windows Server 2003 system. Close the window.
8. Click Start and select Run.
9. Type cmd and click OK to open a command prompt.
10. In the Command Prompt window, change the directory to c:\SMT_ws03_x86\.
11. Type SmigDeploy.exe and press Enter to register the Windows Server Migration Tools cmdlets into Windows PowerShell.
12. After the command completes, the original Command Prompt window will be open, as well as a separate PowerShell window. Type exit in each of the Command Prompt windows to close them.

The Windows Server Migration Tools are now installed and registered with Windows PowerShell on the Windows Server 2003 x86 system and can be used in a PowerShell window.

Installing the Windows Server Migration Tools on Windows Server 2008 64-Bit Edition DHCP Server

Before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be installed on a Windows Server 2008 64-bit system, install Windows PowerShell from the Add Features link in Server Manager if it is not already installed. Once Windows PowerShell is installed, perform the following steps before the Windows Server Migration Tools can be used:

1. Using an account with administrator permissions, log on to the Windows Server 2008 64-bit DHCP server.
2. Click Start. In the search pane, enter the path to the location where the Server Migration Tools package for this operating system is stored and press Enter (for this example, \\server20\downloads\).
3. Locate the “SMT_ws08_amd64” folder that was created previously, right-click the folder, and choose Copy.
4. Click Start. In the search pane, type c:\ and press Enter.
5. On the root of the C: drive, right-click on a blank space and click Paste to create the c:\SMT_ws08_amd64 folder on the Windows Server 2008 system. Close the window.
6. Click Start, and in the search pane, type cmd. When the command prompt is listed, right-click the shortcut and choose Run As Administrator. If prompted, click Continue to open an elevated Command Prompt window.
7. In the Command Prompt window, change the directory to c:\SMT_ws08_amd64\.
8. Type SmigDeploy.exe and press Enter to register the Windows Server Migration Tools cmdlets into Windows PowerShell.
9. After the command completes, the original Command Prompt window will be open, as well as a separate PowerShell window. Type exit in each of the Command Prompt windows to close them.

The Windows Server Migration Tools are now installed and registered with Windows PowerShell on the Windows Server 2008 64-bit and can be used in a PowerShell window.

Migrating DHCP Services from Windows Server 2003 x86 to Windows Server 2008 R2
The proceeding steps can be used to migrate DHCP services from a Windows Server 2003 x86 DHCP server to a Windows Server 2008 R2 system. Migrating the DHCP services includes several steps, which are outlined in the following sections.

Exporting DHCP Servers Setting from a Windows Server 2003 DHCP Server

Exporting the DHCP server settings and scopes must be performed on the source DHCP server. Before this task can be performed the .NET framework, Windows Powershell and the Server Migration Tools need to be installed. Once these tools are installed, please follow the proceeding steps to export the DHCP settings from a Windows Server 2003 x86 based system.

1. Using an account with administrator permissions, log on to the Windows Server 2003 x86 DHCP server that has the Windows Server Migration Tools installed and registered with Windows PowerShell.
2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select DHCP.
3. In the DHCP Server console, select and expand the DHCP server. Right-click the DHCP server, and select Properties.
4. In the DHCP Server Properties window, select the Advanced tab and click the Bindings button. Note the IP address the DHCP server is using because we will need this IP address later during the import process on the destination DHCP server. Close the DHCP Server Properties window.
5. In the DHCP Server console, select and expand the DHCP server. Right-click the DHCP server and select Backup.
6. Select the backup location and click OK to perform the backup.
7. In the DHCP console window, right-click the DHCP server, select All Tasks, and select Stop to stop the DHCP Server service. Close the DHCP console window.
8. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, click Windows Server Migration Tools, and click the PowerShell shortcut for Windows Server Migration Tools. When the PowerShell window opens, it should default to the c:\SMT_ws03_x86\ folder.
9. In the PowerShell window, type .\Servermigration.psc1 and press Enter to open a separate PowerShell window with the Windows Server Migration Tools module loaded.
10. In the PowerShell window, type the command Export-SmigServerSetting –FeatureID DHCP and press Enter.
11. When prompted for the path, enter c:\DHCPExport and press Enter.
12. When prompted for a password that will be used to secure the exported data, enter a password that is six characters or longer and press Enter to export the settings. Please note this password as it will be used to import the settings.
13. Close any open Command Prompt and PowerShell windows.
14. Copy the exported folder to the C:\ drive on the destination DHCP server.
15. Change the IP address of the server or remove it from the network permanently.
The original DHCP server IP address will be added to the destination server to ensure full functionality after the migration. The IP address change is required to ensure that clients with existing leases will be able to contact the DHCP server by the original DHCP server IP address. If this step is not performed, most clients will fail a DHCP renew and may need to have help desk staff assist with an Ipconfig /release and Ipconfig /renew on each machine that fails a DHCP renew.

Importing DHCP Server Settings to a Windows Server 2008 R2 DHCP Server

To import the previously exported Windows Server 2003 x86 DHCP server settings, install the Windows Server Migration Tools from the Add Feature link in Server Manager. Windows PowerShell is already installed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 system so this task is not necessary. The DHCP import function will overwrite all DHCP settings if imported onto an existing DHCP server, so it is a best practice to not install the DHCP Server role before running the import. To import the DHCP server settings and information from the original Windows Server 2003 system, perform the following steps:

1. Using an account with administrator permissions, log on to the Windows Server 2008 R2 system that has the Windows Server Migration Tools installed.
2. Open an elevated command prompt by clicking Start, All Programs, Accessories; locate and right-click on Command Prompt and choose Run As Administrator. If prompted for confirmation, click Continue.
3. Ping the original IP address of the Windows Server 2003 DHCP server to ensure that it is no longer in use.
4. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, click Windows Server Migration Tools, and click the PowerShell shortcut for Windows Server Migration Tools.
5. In the PowerShell window, type the command Import-SmigServerSetting –FeatureID DHCP –Verbose and press Enter.
6. When prompted for the path, type c:\DHCPexport and press Enter.
7. When prompted, enter the password used to secure the exported DHCP settings and press Enter. If the DHCP service had been installed previously, this import will fail. If the import failed due to the DHCP role being previously installed, the –Force option can be appended to the command; however, all existing DHCP server settings will be overwritten.
8. Once the import completes and reports successful, type exit and press Enter to close the Windows PowerShell window.
9. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select Services.
10. Scroll down in the left pane to locate the DHCP Server service, right-click the service, and choose Properties.
11. Change the DHCP Server service startup to Automatic and click OK to save the settings.
12. Right-click the DHCP Server service and select Start to start the service and then close the Services console window.
13. Click Start, click All Programs, click Administrative Tools, and select DHCP.
14. In the DHCP console window, the local server should be listed, expand the server, and expand the IPv4 node to reveal the imported scope. Review the scope settings, leases, and other information.
15. In the console pane, right-click the IPv4 node and select Properties.
16. Select the Advanced tab and click the Bindings button. Verify that the original DHCP server IP address is listed and checked. Click OK to close the Bindings window and click OK again to close the IPv4 Properties window.
17. In the console pane, right-click the local server node and select Authorize.
18. Refresh the window and verify the server is operational.
19. In the console pane, right-click DHCP at the top and select Manage Authorized Servers.
20. If the original server is listed, select it and click Unauthorize.
21. Verify that a new lease can be obtained and close the DHCP console.

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