Server Upgrade

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Sun May 17, 2015 5:56 pm

In this thread I will chronicle my horrible decision to upgrade my home server.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Sun May 17, 2015 6:05 pm

My home server was running Microsoft Windows Server 2003. That server will be referred to as the "host." On that server, I was running VMWare Server 2.0 -- a free product that lets you run virtual servers. I was running three additional 2003 virtual servers: a web server, a mail server, and a domain controller.

Microsoft has announced that July 14, 2015 is "end of life" for Windows Server 2003. They'll probably offer patches a little while longer, but if you're running a 2003 server (and I am) now's the time to formulate a plan.

To see how some of my things would run on a 2012 Server, I tried to install a virtual 2012 server on VMWare Server. That's when I learned VMWare Server hasn't been updated in years and doesn't support anything newer than Windows 7 and Server 2008. Looks like a major upgrade is at hand! There are other VMWare products that will "play" VMWare virtual servers, and as a backup plan, Microsoft has its own virtual server solution (Hyper-V). Switching to this would involve a lot of work (spoiler!), but I was keeping it as a last ditch solution.

My plan was to do the following, beginning on Saturday, 5/16/15:

Noon: reload host with Server 2012.
1pm: Install VMWare Workstation
1:30pm: get my old servers up and running with that.
2pm: sit back and drink a cold one. Bottom's up!

How did that work out for me? READ ON!

RealNC · Post by **RealNC** » Sun May 17, 2015 6:45 pm

VMWare Player is free and uses the same exact virtualization engine as Workstation (meaning it's up to date and supports all OSes Workstation does), but lacks some features. You might actually not need those features to begin with (like snapshots and VNC), so Player might just be exactly what you're looking for.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Sun May 17, 2015 7:25 pm

10am-Noon: I move all my VMs over to my workstation and run them using VMWare Workstation. My main workstation is now running at 99%, but at least the website it still online.

Noon: After burning a Windows 2012 DVD I realized my server doesn't have a CD or DVD drive. I went out to the garage to find my old USB DVD drive.

12:30pm: With drive connected, I began installing Windows 2012. The machine rebooted and I lost video. I rebooted the machine a couple more times and apparently it doesn't like my KVM.

1pm: With another monitor connected, I reattempted the installation. This time, the install CD said I have no hard drives that are compatible with Windows 2012. This server has at least 3 internal hard drives. What gives?

1:15pm: I realize every tool I use every day for server maintenance is on the server that now won't boot. Everything from this point on was obtained using BitTorrent.

1:30pm: I begin downloading random partition tools. Each tool leads to more tools. Some say they can be put on USB sticks, so I download tools to make that happen. Some work, some don't. I end up giving up on the bootable USB stick and just start burning CDs. I probably downloaded 5 random tools until I got one to work. Keep in mind that I am doing all of this on a machine that is constantly pegged at 99% from running the other virtual machines temporarily.

3pm: The error I'm getting is that Windows 2012 cannot uninstall on an MBR hard drive and instead wants a GPT drive. I manage to change the drive type from MBR to GPT. Windows 2012 doesn't like that either.

5pm: After a couple more hours I learn that my CD-Rom is booting in UEFI mode, which requries GPT -- however, there's no way this will ever work. I eventually discover that I can boot off the CD-Rom drive in "normal" mode. When I do that, Server 2012 begins to install on a normal MBR hard drive, just like it should.

6pm: I install VMWare Workstation on the server and launch the first VM. Success! However, none of the old features I used (like "automatically start your VMs in a specific order") is available. The writing is on the wall -- I'm going to have to convert these machines to use Hyper-V.

6:30pm: I install Hyper-V. Pretty simple.

7pm: I find a program that says it will convert a VM from VMWare to Hyper-V.

8:30pm: I download the program, run it, do the conversion, and move the file over to the server. The machine will not boot. I troubleshoot this for the next hour or so.

10pm: After trying a few different tools, I discover a program called Disk2VHD.

10pm-Midnight: I move all the VMs back over to the new server so it will convert more quickly.

12:15am: I learn that you can't run VMWare Workstation and Hyper-V on the same machine. They see each other and throw up errors that say you can't have to virtualization solutions on the same machine.

12:30-2:30am: I copy the VMs back to my workstation.

2:30am: I install Disk2VHD on one of the VMs and do the conversion. It takes about 45 minutes.

3:15am: I copy the converted file over to the new server.

4:15am: I am able to get the machine running. Success! Now we have something!

4:30-6:30am: Sleep. I have two more machines to do in the morning!

(Continued.)

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Sun May 17, 2015 7:38 pm

6:30am: Up and at 'em! I log in to the server and check out the VM I copied over. Nothing works. It's not on the network and I can't get the keyboard or mouse to work.

6:40am: A few minutes of Googling informs me I forgot to uninstall VMTools first from the VMWare machine. Of course you can't do it now that it's a Microsoft Hyper-V machine, so I have to do it manually. It takes almost an hour, once I find the instructions and get everything working.

7:30am: It worked! The first REAL success! 1 down, 2 to go!

8:30-10am: The process is repeated for server #2. The web server is brought up on my workstation, a clone is made, the file is copied across the network to the new server.

10am: The kids want to go to the local water park. I put the project on hold for 3 hours.

1pm: I uninstalled VMWare tools first, so this one goes much more smoothly.

3pm: This machine is much larger, so it took a lot longer to convert and copy over. Good times! Things are going slower now that Game 7 of the Clippers/Rockets is on.

4-5pm: I take a nap.

5pm: I am informed I have a birthday party to attend. I get ready and leave for that, but not before starting the file to copy.

7:30pm: I return from the party. Machine 2 fires right up. Success #2!

8:30pm (about an hour ago): I started converting machine #3. I'm trying to skip a step this time by writing the vhdx file directly to the USB stick by attaching it to the VM. It seems to be working. It's going more slowly than before but I think it'll end up being faster doing it slowly once than it will be doing it semi-slowly twice.

9:38pm: Machine is till converting...

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Sun May 17, 2015 7:40 pm

RealNC wrote:VMWare Player is free and uses the same exact virtualization engine as Workstation (meaning it's up to date and supports all OSes Workstation does), but lacks some features. You might actually not need those features to begin with (like snapshots and VNC), so Player might just be exactly what you're looking for.

Unfortunately, VMWare Server supported launching the machines in a specific order (I need my domain controller to launch, then the mail server, then the web server). There are a few other backup-related things I don't think would work. My server is really just a mid-level workstation, so I don't think it's ESXi compatible, unfortunately.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Sun May 17, 2015 8:30 pm

12:30pm: With drive connected, I began installing Windows 2012. The machine rebooted and I lost video. I rebooted the machine a couple more times and apparently it doesn't like my KVM.

This is always an amazing treat. It NEVER works. Okay, it works but KVM solutions are fragile as shit and it's the fault of the software developers more than the hardware guys who make KVM pieces.

In theory, it sounds amazing. One keyboard, mouse and monitor for MANY computers! Yeah!

I've had machines that won't boot unless they were the active machine for the KVM.

I've had machines work fine until you cycle off them, then you lose the mouse.

I've had machines work fine and then the particular Linux kernal gets changed and it is no longer compatible with the KVM box because it's expecting something it can't get.

I've had machines fail to work at a proper resolution because of the KVM connector.

And the last time I had it working right, the shitty KVM controller I got for a few bucks from eBay via China just stopped working one day.

There needs to be a "It Just Works" of KVM boxes. And I guess it needs to be important enough that versions of Windows and Linux would do compatibility testing for it before releasing new patches, updates and versions. That will probably never happen. And for the most part, you want a KVM solution to run some older machines. That's troublesome as old OSs don't get decent support for new hardware.

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Mon May 18, 2015 11:46 am

Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I've had machines fail to work at a proper resolution because of the KVM connector.

This is my favorite one. Whenever I boot my work laptop, if the KVM isn't on that channel then when I flip over it say "OH HAI I THOUGHT YOU LIKED 640X480?"

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Tue May 19, 2015 10:51 am

The final parts fell into place today. My scheduled tasks have all been recreated, VM backups are happening again... life is good, man.

Ice Cream Jonsey · Post by **Ice Cream Jonsey** » Tue May 19, 2015 11:12 am

Do you think that Microsoft sunset the server you were using for any reason other than to be difficult? After 12 years, was the 2003 version still getting security patches?

Flack · Post by **Flack** » Tue May 19, 2015 12:22 pm

This is Microsoft's rule for supporting operating systems:

Mainstream support—Microsoft will offer mainstream support for a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product is released, whichever is longer. For example, if you buy a new version of Windows and five years later another version is released, you will still have two years of support left for the previous version.

Extended support—Microsoft will offer extended support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability, or for 2 years after the second successor product (two versions later) is released, whichever is longer.

I had to memorize this garbage for my MCSE certification and it still is impossible to figure out. The best way to find out when end of life for a particular product is coming is to wait for Microsoft to announce it. Based on that second one I would think that 2003 would be supported through 2014, as 2014 is two years past the second successor (2012), unless they're counting R2? I dunno. The important thing is, as of July 15, 2015 there will be no more security patches or updates for Server 2003.

I get it, from their point of view. They would rather you buy a new operating system eventually then have them patch something you bought 12 years ago.