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replacing an old server - keep the same name on new server?

94jedi

Hey all, as you can see from my title, I'm replacing an old server; a Dell Poweredge 2400 running Win 2k Srv. This box is currently our print server, McAfee ePolicy server, and license manager (AutoCad) and runs a few other small apps. I would like to keep the same computer name on the new server if possible. The new server will be taking over the duties of the old one as well as some new tasks such as SQL 2005 Std. for our Web monitoring software and Blackberry Enterprise server.

What ideas, if any, do you guys have for maintaining the same server name? It would cut about 50% of the job out if I could keep the same name.

Ideas?

Thanks!

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Comments

Mishra

I've always been one who will always use a new name on a server. Some people image the old machine and put it on the new one. In my opinion, this is an opportunity to install a fresh OS on an old machine that you don't get a chance to do often.

I'm also under the belief that you should change the server name and document what is needed in order to change the server name. That way in an emergency, you can transfer all the roles of that server over to a new server and everything is tested, proven, and documented already making it easy to perform this task.

Ahriakin

I prefer the easy button, Server Migration is hard enough as is, so I'd say yeah keep the name. Just remember you will need to clear the Arp-cache on your network devices if you also use the same IP - not much of an issue with Windows OS short lifetime but some network devices cache for hours.

dynamik

94jedi wrote:

It would cut about 50% of the job out if I could keep the same name.

Maybe I'm missing something, but why is that such a large portion of the job? Are you just talking about having to update the name everywhere if you change it?

It would probably be easier to keep the name the same if you have a lot of things pointing to it already. Just rename/remove the current one from AD. It's not a DC, is it? That's a little more involved. Depending on how you have things set up, you might also be able to make any necessary changes through a script deployed via a GPO if you do decide to rename it.

It would probably be a good idea to set up some emergency documentation as Mishra stated. Another way you could go about that is to make a p2v copy and then experiment in a virtual environment.

mbarra

Don't forget the AutoCAD license server is tied into the MAC address of the server also.

94jedi

mbarra wrote:

Don't forget the AutoCAD license server is tied into the MAC address of the server also.

yea, I would just have to upgrade the license server while I'm at it and have our vendor send us a new license file. I think the MAC info is in the license file itself.

The reason the name change would save me so much time is because of all the apps on this server that are tied to the server name.

The current server is only a member server so I guess in theory I could just remove it from AD and and add the new one w/ the same name. PArt of the problem though is that it was a DC at one point so I have to untangle the web that might be left over from that.