How to Vmware 2003physical to vm2008?

[mi32]

Hello,

       I am new to this and have been thrown into turning our ad server 2003 physical to a virtual vmware server esxi 4.1 already setup making it windows 2008? also taking physical exchange 2003 to a vmware 2010....please what are the steps in doing this process...?

Thanks ahead of time for your time and help..

Mi32

[Rumple]

well, I'm afraid that you have been thrown to the wolves to be honest.

Most of these steps have nothing to do with virtualization or vmware directly.

Setup  a new Windows 2008 VM and then use Windows 2008 documented procedures to install a new Windows 2008 Domain controller into a Windows 2003 Forest

Once that is complete and you transfer all the roles off the Windows 2003 server (including FSMO, DHCP, DNS, etc) then you can demote the Windows 2003 server and you are then left with a Windows 2008 domain.

Next you need to migrate from Excange 2003 to Exchange 2010 (which you can build as a VM), however this isn't something done with a few clicks of a button and depending on the environment size take calculations, testing and experience.

Unless you are an strong intermediate to senior windows administrator both tasks above should not be accomplished without help (and at the very least, the setup of a test lab and practice).

Doesn't take much to screw up either task and render your environment useless.

[mi32]

Thanks for your answers Rumble, They are  very helpful. I googled what you wrote  for instructions and not sure which is best (Setup a new windows 2008 VM?)http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=Setup%C2%A0+a+new+Windows+2008+VM#sclient=psy&hl=en&source=hp&q=Setup%C2%A0+a+new+Windows+2008+VMware&pbx=1&oq=Setup%C2%A0+a+new+Windows+2008+VMware&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=23371l23924l0l24174l4l4l0l0l0l0l422l1144l2-3.0.1l4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=f81f162923b7b952&biw=1366&bih=681

Any help on some of these?

Also possible instructions or links to migrate from Excange 2003 to Exchange 2010 (which you can build as a VM).

Last thing If one creates the windows 2008 vm for the AD and after this install procedures and all when you reboot and it comes up asking for credentials you then enter them exactly the way you wrote them down and it doesnt let you because it doesnt recognize the password is this something youve  come across ? with vmware if so what to do to remedy it?

Thanks again for you time and help

Mi32

[SamElliott]

If you've joined the server to the domain and are using the Administrator account you will need to enter the username in the format DOMAIN\Administrator or it will try and login locally, that is the only authentication issue I have seen with 2008 servers.

To be fair there is a lot to know before trying to virtualise an environment I would recommend going through the documentation from VMware and Microsoft for best practices of configuring the virtual environment before attempting to complete this or you may end up with a slow server that hasn't been sized properly.

vSphere 4.1 documentation can be found here http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vs_pages/vsp_pubs_esxi41_i_vc41.html

and I would check http://technet.microsoft.com for the Microsoft white papers which should have all the information you need.