Upgrading from 2012 DC to 2022 DC

Posted by johnnydotexe@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 9 comments

Tldr, we're an MSP and have just 1-2 clients left with on-prem environments and it's been so long since I've done a DC replacement/promo that I'm basically relearning it right now. Client has a 2012 DC, just added a second vmware host and vcenter, built new DC and APP VMs for them, and I'm curious if there are still guides floating around for joining/promoting/fsmo transfer to a new DC and demoting/decommissioning the old DC. I vaguely recall the process, at some point I need to raise the forest level, etc. So...any good guides out there I can follow to get this knocked out? All the other stuff...fileshare move, mapped drive GPO adjustments, etc I'm still familiar with.

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9 Comments

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UMustBeNooHere@reddit

Make sure and migrate from FRS to DFRS first (or you’re gonna have a bad time). Allow a couple days to “bake”. Migrate FSMO files to new DCs then demote old DCs.

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johnnydotexe@reddit (OP)

Won't let you dcpromo anymore if you don't first do the FRS to DFRS migration, fortunately there are a few easy to follow guides out there for that.

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UMustBeNooHere@reddit

Yep, pretty simple to do. It’s “supposed” to warn you, yes, but I have had many 2012R2 to 2019/22 DC moves have issues and had to do manual force sync to rectify. It’s a known issue when 2012R2 DC are involved.

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DanHalen_phd@reddit

Yes. The Microsoft KB articles....

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johnnydotexe@reddit (OP)

Traditionally known as the worst KB articles in existence, often outdated or outright wrong, and typically used by MS support engineers as their phone support scripts and only source of knowledge/experience on the product they're supposed to be supporting.

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_nix-addict@reddit

Microsoft provides good documentation. Microsofts phone support does not. They certainly don't use the Microsoft docs very effectively either. You could have solved this "problem" with a half hour of reading. Instead you posted on reddit to bemoan the solutions that are provided to you. Take some accountability.

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JMMD7@reddit

The MS article is actually really well done in this case. There's not a whole lot to it. I build a new AD server allow it to sync, wait a few days to make sure there are no issues and use PowerShell to move the FSMO roles. This is the guide I used a few years ago. Now I know the process well so I don't really reference it anymore. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/deploy/upgrade-domain-controllers

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johnnydotexe@reddit (OP)

Will give it a look. Years ago, we just bookmarked a few blogs about it because the MS KBs were...lacking, to say the least.

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TinderSubThrowAway@reddit

google: "How to transfer FSMO"