How do you transfer data in your environment?

N2IT

How do you transfer data in your environment.

Specifically from PC to PC. Basically what I mean when an end users machine has become end of life.

Any suggestions on migration would be greatly appreciated. We currently have an home developed tool, but I wanted to weigh my options.

Thanks

ehnde

Are you talking about backup solutions? I was just studying 70-640 (Active Directory) material yesterday and reading about how you can use Group Policy to have all user data redirected to a server. Files, settings, everything. Or you can pick and choose.

I'd like to know what people are using. When I try to do network backups at home using FTP it always times out...very aggravating. I wind up just using a USB hard drive.

I'm a Linux nut, so free OSS software always comes to mind first.
Amanda Network Backup: Open Source Backup for Linux, Windows, UNIX and OS X
Bacula, the Open Source, Enterprise ready, Network Backup Tool for Linux, Unix, and Windows

(I've never used either of these, I just know of them.)

Repo Man

Most places I've worked have simply transferred the profile folder either to a network share or an external drive or had roaming profiles setup.

Anonymouse

When I worked in desktop support we just used an external HDD to transfer users data. When I did a largescale deployment of new computers/OS we used that Windows Migration Tool (I think it's USMT or something? Sorry it's been a while). Upload from old computer over network to server and then download to users new computer over network. At home when working on my own or other peoples computers I just pull the drive out from old computer and use USB adapter to connect to new computer and transfer.

nimrod.sixty9

We use Kixtart. We have a script that makes the Documents folder sync to a share created on the file server (the share is the users username and automatically created). Which is in turn backed up by tape. We tell users,'if you want to keep it, put it in here'.

As for the profile, we just do it manually. Copy the folder to a share on the file server. Then let the user log in on the new PC/OS install, restart and copy over the files as needed. But I think we will be trying USMT very soon, it looks promising.

xenodamus

Yea, we just copy stuff to a network share as well. Not very creative, but most of our users don't have much personal data.

QHalo

Altiris PC Transplant.

Akaricloud

We pull the harddrive out of the old computer, throw it in a USB dock and connect it to the new computer.

At that point I've made batch files to automate moving my docs, desktop, favorites, outlook .PSTs, .N2k and their signature folder.

Custom programs are all pre-installed in our shop and the entire process usually takes about 20-30 minutes in the customers office.

I know this isn't the best way of doing things but for the 150ish users we support it works out fine.

crrussell3

I have done it a few different ways, depending on the company I was working for.

1. Where I am currently at, we have the documents redirected along with the favorites, so if we can, we copy over the desktop, nk2, and pst files. If the harddrive crashed, not going to worry about it.

2. Another company I worked at, we used the USMT to transfer their entire user profile when doing a refresh or protecting against failed hardware.

3. Another place I worked at, they didn't care. If they didn't save it in their user folder, we were instructed not to transfer it.

Coolhandluke

Where I work the situation is: All user documents redirected to a server, Tape or SAN backup every night + Shadow copies twice a day (can't hurt).

Most emails are web based on an internal server but some use outlook so they are pst's. They don't matter because all mail content (mail, contacts, tasks etc) are stored on the server.

Beyond that no need to recover anything for users. Most of our users are mandatory profile (yeah its a school).

Server transfers sometimes i'll use robocopy to maintain permissions but this is usually things on 50GB+ scale.

not sure if this answers any questions but just the way we do things.

MickQ

For the small one off jobs, usually install the new apps (office, etc.) if it isn't already in a standardised image. Next up, link the two machines to a small portable (5 or 8 port) Gb switch and run the MS transfer wizard.

For the larger places I work in, there are standardised deployment images (WDS!) and the user's files are directed to be on the server for easier backup. User saves to desktop? Well too bad Mary Joe, now you gotta do your work again.