Migrating Companyweb Website (WSS 2.0) from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 (WSS 3.0).

[Today’s post comes to us courtesy Bhushan Gokhale]  

With the recent release of SBS 2008, most of the administrators are quite comfortable with migrating Exchange and Active Directory. However, SharePoint migration is also one of the important migration tasks and even though there are whitepapers it isn’t always as easy as it seams.

This blogs guides you through the step by step procedure to Migrate your Companyweb website from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008. As you might be aware, upgrading Companyweb from WSS 2.0 to WSS 3.0 is not supported in SBS 2003. So this blog specifically talks about Migrating Companyweb (WSS 2.0) website on SBS 2003 to a WSS 3.0 website on SBS 2008.

Note: Do not use this post to migrate any WSS 3.0 website from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008.

Note: When you finish the procedures in this blog, the links from the previous Companyweb Web site to Outlook Web Access (OWA) and to Helpdesk will no longer resolve correctly. This is by design.

Source Server: Small Business Server 2003

Destination Server: Small Business Server 2008

Steps to be performed on the Source Server:

Configure Companyweb on SBS 2003 to allow access from Windows Small Business Server 2008

> Log on to the Source Server with an administrator account, and then open the Internet Explorer®

> In Address bar, type https://companyweb, and then click GO.

Make sure you include the "s" after "http," and verify that you are accessing the encrypted Windows SharePoint Services Web site.

> On the Home page, click Site Settings.

> On the Site Settings page, in the Administration section, click Manage users, and then click Add Users.

> On the Add Users page, do the following:

1. In the text box in Step 1: Choose Users, type Windows SBS SharePoint_OwnersGroup.
2. In Step 2: Choose Site Groups, select the Administrator check box, and then click Next.
3. Click Finish to accept the default entries. Note that the new group is added to the users list on the Manage Users page.

> On the Manage Users page, again click Add User.

> On the Add Users page, do the following:

1. In the text box in Step 1: Choose Users, type Windows SBS SharePoint_MembersGroup.
2. In Step 2: Choose Site Groups, select the Contributor check box, and then click Next.
3. Click Finish to accept the default entries. Note that the new group is added to the users list on the Manage Users page.

> On the Manage Users page, click Add User.

> On the Add Users page, do the following:

1. In the text box in Step 1: Choose Users. type Windows SBS SharePoint_VisitorsGroup.
2. In Step 2: Choose Site Groups, select the Reader check box, and then click Next.
3. Click Finish to accept the default entries. Note that the new group is added to the users list on the Manage Users page.

> Close the Companyweb page.

> Notify users that the internal Web site is going to be migrated to Windows SBS 2008 and that the Source Server will be offline during this process.

Run the Prescan tool on the Source Server

> Log on to the Destination Server.

> Copy the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 prescan.exe utility from the folder %Program Files%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\Bin to removable media.

> Save the file on the Source Server.

> On the Source Server, click Start, click Run, type cmd in the text box, and then click ENTER.

> In the Command Prompt window, switch to the folder where you saved prescan.exe

> Type:- prescan.exe /V https://companyweb at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

Note any messages about errors, and review the log files that are created by prescan.exe. If there are errors, make the necessary corrections, and then run prescan.exe again.

Stop Companyweb on the Source Server

> On the Source Server, click Start, and then click Server Management.

> In the navigation pane, click Advanced Management, click Internet Information Services, click <ServerName> (local), and then click Web Sites.

> Right-click the Companyweb, and then click Stop.

Connect to Windows SharePoint Services WMSDE instance on the source server

> On the Source Server, click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft SQL Server 2005, and then click SQL Server Management Studio Express.

> In the Server name dropdown list, click <ServerName>\SHAREPOINT, and then click Connect.

Back up the content database for the companyweb

> In SQL Server Management Studio Express with SP2 (MSSMSE), in the navigation pane, expand Databases.

> Right-click the content database for the internal Web site, click Tasks, and then click Backup.

Note: The content database for the internal Web site is named STS_<SourceServerName>_1 by default.

> In the Back Up Database dialog box, do the following:

1. Leave the defaults in the Source and Backup set sections.
2. In the Destination section, make sure Backup to is set to Disk, and then add the <full path location>.bak for the backup set (for example, c:\backup\CompanyWeb.bak).
3. Click OK to create the backup set.
4. Click OK in the Backup completed successfully dialog box.

If you receive an error stating "Property BackupDirectory is not available for Settings 'Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.Smo.Settings'. This property may not exist for this object, or may not be retrievable due to insufficient access rights. (Microsoft.SqlServer.Express.Smo)," you must add the following value to the Registry via the Regedit tool:

Registry key: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\SharePoint\MSSQLServer

Name: BackupDirectory
Type: Reg_SZ
Value: C:

Detach the database

> In Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express SP2 (MSSMSE), in the navigation pane, expand Databases.Right-click the content database for the internal Web site, click Tasks, and then click Detach.

> In the Detach Database dialog box, do the following:

1. Select the check box in the Drop Connections column.
2. Clear the check box in the Update Statistics column.
3. Click OK.
4. In the navigation pane, in the Databases folder, verify that the STS_<Windows SBS 2003ServerName>_1 database is no longer displayed.
5. Close MSSMSE.

> Copy the database files to the Destination Server.

> By default, the files are in the folder C:\ Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$SharePoint\Data folder on the Source Server.

> By default, the files are named as follows:

STS_<ServerName>_1.mdf
STS__<ServerName>_1_Log.ldf

Important: Ensure that these files are included when you take the backups on the Destination Server.

Steps performed on the Destination Server

> Verify that the version of the Companyweb that is running on the Destination Server is Windows SharePoint Server 3.0.

> In Internet Explorer, in the address bar, type https://sites:987. The icon next to the title of the internal Web site should be for Windows SharePoint Server 3.0, and the site description should be “Organization internal Web site."

Configure the forward lookup zone for Companyweb on the Destination Server

> Open the DNS Management Console in Windows SBS 2008. To open the console, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.

> Click Continue in the User Account Controls dialog box.

> In the navigation pane, expand the server name, expand Forward Lookup Zones, and then expand the internal domain name (for example, server.local).

> Right-click the Companyweb alias (CNAME) resource record, and then click Properties.

> Replace the FQDN for the target host entry with the name of the Destination Server (for example, NewServer.contoso.local).

Attach the content database

> Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft SQL Server 2005, right-click SQL Server Management Studio Express, and then click Run as Administrator.

> Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.

> To connect to the content database that the Destination Server uses, do the following:

1. In the Server name text box, type \\.\pipe\mssql$microsoft##ssee\sql\query.
2. Click Connect.

> To attach the content database, do the following:

1. In the navigation pane, right-click Databases, and then click Attach.
2. In the Attach Databases dialog box, in Databases to attach, click Add.
3. In the Locate Database Files dialog box, navigate to the TS_<SourceServerName>_1.mdf file that you copied from the Source Server to the Destination Server, and then click OK.
4. In the Attach Databases dialog box, in <DatabaseName> database details, confirm that the STS_<SourceServerName>_1.mdf file and the STS_<SourceServerName>_1_Log.ldf file are listed.
5. Click OK.
6. If you see a warning dialog box from MSSMSE, which asks about locating full text catalogs, click No.
7. Verify that the STS_<SourceServerName>_1 database is listed in the Databases folder in the navigation pane.
8. Close MSSMSE.

Create a new Web site to host the new internal Web site

> Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager.

> Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.

> In the navigation pane, expand the <DestinationServerName>, right-click Sites, and then click Add Web Site.

In the Add Web Site dialog box, do the following:

1. In Site name, type CompanyWebv2.
2. In Application pool, accept the default CompanyWebv2.
3. In Physical path, browse to C:\inetpub, click Make New Folder, and then type CompanyWebv2 as the new folder name.
4. In the Binding section, in Host name, type CompanyWebv2.
5. Click OK.
6. Verify that CompanyWebv2 is added to the Sites folder.
7. Close IIS Manager.

Create an alias (CNAME) resource record for CompanyWebv2.

> Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click DNS.

> Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.

> In the navigation pane, expand the Forward Lookup Zones.

> Right-click <DomainName>.local, and then click New Alias (CNAME).

In the New resource Record dialog box, do the following:

1. In Alias name (uses parent domain if left bank), type CompanyWebv2.
2. In Fully qualified domain name (FQDN) for target host, type <ServerName>.<DomainName>.local (for example, NewServer.contoso.local).
3. Click OK.
4. Note that the CompanyWebv2 alias (CNAME) resource record is now listed in the Forward Lookup Zone.
5. Close DNS Manager.

Create a new Windows SharePoint Services Web application named CompanyWebv2

> Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.

> Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.

> On the Home page, in the navigation bar, click the Application Management tab.

> On the Application Management page, in the Windows SharePoint Services Web Application Management section, click Create or extend Web application.

> On the Create or Extend Web Application page, click Create a new Web application.

On the Create New Web Application page, in the IIS Web Site section, do the following:

> Click Use an existing IIS Web site.
> Click CompanyWebv2 in the dropdown list box.
> Accept the default entries in the remaining text boxes in the section.

On the Create New Web Application page, in the Security Configuration section, accept the default settings:

> In Authentication provider, click NTLM.

> In Allow Anonymous, click No.

> In Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), click No.

On the Create New Web Application page, in the Load Balanced URL section, do the following:

1. Verify that the URL text box contains https:// CompanyWebv2:80/.
2.Accept Default in the Zone text box.

On the Create New Web Application page, in the Application Pool section, do the following:

> Click Use existing application pool.

> Select CompanyWebv2 or the name of the application pool that you created in Step 4 of the “To create a new Web site to host the older version of Companyweb” procedure.

> On the Create New Web Application page, in the Reset Internet Information Services section, accept the default settings.

On the Create New Web Application page, in the Database Name and Authentication section, do the following:

> In Database Server, accept the default <SourceServerName>\Microsoft##SSEE.

> In Database Name, type STS_<SourceServerName>_1.

> In Database authentication, click Windows authentication (recommended).

On the Create New Web Application page, in the Search Server section, do the following:

> In Windows SharePoint Services search server, click the Destination Server name in the dropdown list box.

> Click OK.

> If you receive a warning message, click OK.

The Operation in Progress page is displayed. This operation may take approximately 30 minutes. The new Windows SharePoint Services Web application is created, and the Windows SharePoint Services 2.0 Companyweb database is upgraded to Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

The Application Created page is displayed. It notes that you need to reset IIS to finish creating the new Web site. You will do this in a later procedure. Close Central Administration for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

To set or confirm the Site Collection Administrator for the CompanyWebv2 Web site

> Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click SharePoint 3.0 Central Administration.

> Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.

> On the Home page, in the navigation bar, click the Application Management tab.

> On the Application Management page, in the SharePoint Site Management section, click Site Collection Administrators.

On the Site Collection Administrators page, in the Site Collection section, if https:// CompanyWebv2 is not displayed in the Site Collection box, do the following:

1. Click the Site Collection dropdown arrow, and then click Change Site Collection.
2. On the Select Site Collection page, in the tool bar, click the Web Application dropdown arrow, and then click Change Web Application.
3. On the Select Web Application page, in the Name column, click CompanyWebv2, and then click OK.
4. On the Site Collection Administrators page, confirm that the Primary site collection administrator text box contains a valid user account name in your Windows SBS 2008 domain. If it does not, type a valid user account name.

Important The built-in Administrator account is not a valid user account name in your Windows SBS 2008 domain.

You can also enter a user account name in the Secondary site collection administrator text box.
Click OK, and then close Central Administration for Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.

To reset IIS

· Click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.
· Click Continue in the User Account Control dialog box.
· At the command prompt, type iisreset.
· When you see the message Internet services successfully restarted, close the Command Prompt window.

You now have a working Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Web site that is named CompanyWebv2 and that contains the structure and documents of your old Windows SBS 2003 Companyweb Web site. This is a good time to review the contents of your Windows SBS 2003 Companyweb Web site and to reorganize or archive items, if appropriate. You can open the new Windows SBS 2008 internal Web site and the Windows SBS 2003 CompanyWebv2 site side-by-side.

If you open document libraries and use the Explorer view, you can copy and paste documents and folders from one site to the other.

Note

The Explorer view in Windows SharePoint Services depends on WebDAV. Typically, WebDAV is installed on client operating systems, but not on server operating systems. To use the Explorer view to finish migrating your content to the new Windows SBS 2008 internal Web site, either access the sites from a client computer on the network, or install the Desktop experience from Server Manager on your Destination Server.