Migrate File and Storage Services to Windows Server 2012 R2

Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2

The File and Storage Services Migration Guide provides step-by-step instructions for how to migrate the File and Storage Services role, including data, shared folders, and operating system settings from a source server to a destination server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2.

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About this guide

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Migration documentation and tools ease the migration of server role settings and data from an existing server to a destination server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2. By using the tools that are described in this guide, you can simplify the migration process, reduce migration time, increase the accuracy of the migration process, and help to eliminate possible conflicts that might otherwise occur during the migration process. For more information about installing and using the migration tools on both source and destination servers, see Migrating Roles and Features in Windows Server.

Specifically, this guide includes information about migrating the following:

Information about the server’s identity

Local users and groups

Data and shared folders

Shadow Copies of Shared Folders

File Server Resource Manager (FSRM)

Group Policy settings that are specific to server message block (SMB)

Group Policy settings for Offline Files (also known as client-side caching or CSC)

iSCSI Software Target

iSCSI Software Target was previously an optional Windows Server and Windows Storage Server component download. Because of the amount of content, all iSCSI-specific migration information is located in File and Storage Services: Migrate an iSCSI Software Target.

Network File System (NFS) file shares

Remote Volume Shadow Copy Service (RVSS)

Target audience

This document is intended for information technology (IT) professionals and knowledge workers who are responsible for operating and deploying file servers in a managed environment.

What this guide does not provide

This guide does not provide information or support for the following migration scenarios:

Migrating Roaming User Profiles

Upgrading roles on the same computer

Migrating more than one server role

Migrating data across subnets

Migrating file servers by using File Server Resource Manager

Migrating encrypted files from Encrypting File System (EFS)

Migrating file allocation tables (FAT) and FAT32 file systems

Migrating hardware and software installation for storage resources

In addition to these unsupported scenarios, you should understand the following migration limitations:

If the hard disk drive that contains your data is physically moved from the source server to the destination server, file and folder permissions for local users are not preserved.

Reparse points, hard links, and mounted volumes are not migrated when data is copied, and they need to be migrated manually.

To facilitate migrating file and shared folder permissions, you must migrate local users and groups as part of the migration procedure. However, not all user and group attributes are migrated.

For more information about the attributes of local users and groups that can be migrated, see the Local User and Group Migration Guide.

Supported migration scenarios

This guide provides instructions for migrating an existing server that is running File and Storage Services to a server that is running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012. This guide does not contain instructions for migration when the source server is running multiple roles. If your server is running multiple roles, it is recommended that you design a custom migration procedure for your server environment, based on the information that is provided in other server role migration guides. Migration guides for additional roles are available on the Windows Server Migration Portal.

If your source server is running multiple roles, some migration steps in this guide, such as those for computer name and IP configuration, can cause other server roles that are running on the source server to fail.

Supported migration scenarios include the following configurations or features:

File server is joined to a domain

File server is in a workgroup

File server data and file shares are located in a storage area network (SAN) or other external storage location that preserves data and file share permissions (except data for local users and groups)

File server data and file shares are located on the server disk (direct-attached storage) that is preserving data and files shares permissions

File Server Resource Manager

iSCSI Software Target

Network File System (NFS) file shares

Shadow Copies of Shared Folders

The file migration portion of the Windows Server Migration Tools is designed for smaller data sets (less than 100 GB of data). It copies files one at a time over HTTPS. For larger data sets, we recommend using the version of Robocopy.exe included with Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012.

Supported operating systems

Source server processor

Source server operating system

Destination server operating system

Destination server processor

x86-based or x64-based

WindowsВ ServerВ 2003 with ServiceВ PackВ 2

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

x86-based or x64-based

Windows ServerВ 2003В R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

x86-based or x64-based

Windows ServerВ 2008, full installation option

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

Windows ServerВ 2008В R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

Server Core installation option of Windows ServerВ 2008В R2

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

Server Core and full installation options of Windows Server 2012

Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows ServerВ 2008В R2, both full and Server Core installation options

The versions of operating systems shown in the preceding table are the oldest combinations of operating systems and service packs that are supported. Newer service packs, if available, are supported. Foundation, Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions of WindowsВ Server are supported as either source or destination servers.

Migrations between physical operating systems and virtual operating systems are supported. Migration from a source server to a destination server that is running an operating system in a different system UI language (that is, the installed language) than the source server is not supported. For example, you cannot use to migrate roles, operating system settings, data, or shares from a computer that is running in the French system UI language to a computer that is running in the German system UI language.Windows Server 2012Windows ServerВ 2008Windows Server Migration Tools

The system UI language is the language of the localized installation package that was used to set up the Windows operating system.

Both x86-based and x64-based migrations are supported for Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 and Windows ServerВ 2003. All editions of Windows ServerВ 2008В R2 are x64-based.

File services migration overview

The following topics contain step-by-step information about how to migrate File and Storage Services from a computer that is running Windows ServerВ 2003 or later to a computer that is running Windows Server 2012 R2:

Impact of migration on other computers in the enterprise

The content in this section describes the impact to the other computers in your enterprise during migration.

Impact of data migration by copying data and shared folders

The performance of your source server can be affected during the data migration. This can result in slower access to files that are stored on the server.

At the beginning of the second phase of the data migration, all open files are closed, which can lead to data loss.

During the second phase of data migration, clients are unable to access the file server.

Impact of data migration by physically moving data drives

Clients cannot access the file server from the moment the storage device is disconnected from the source server until it is attached to the destination server.

Impact on DFS Namespaces

The DFS Namespaces are unavailable at several times during the migration process. You should plan your migration when you can take the namespace offline that is hosted on the source server.

Impact on DFS Replication

The impact of migration activity on other servers in the enterprise depends largely on the configuration of the replication topology. Typically, DFS Replication is configured in a hub and spoke replication topology with multiple branch office servers (spokes) replicating with a single hub server. Depending on which server in the replication topology is migrated and how the data is migrated, the remaining servers in the enterprise can be affected. Client workstations that are accessing data that is contained in the replicated folder on the server can be affected during the migration process.

Client computers may be accessing data in the folder that is being replicated by using DFS Replication. The replicated folder is often exposed to client computers as an SMB shared folder.

For more information about the impact of the migration process on client computers, see Impact of data migration by copying data and shared folders earlier in this document.

Permissions required to complete migration

This section describes permissions that are required to complete the migration.

Permissions required for data and shared folder migration

For data and shared folder migration, local Administrator permissions are required on the source server and destination server.

Permissions required to complete migration on the destination server

This section describes permissions that are required to perform the migration on the destination server.

Permissions required to migrate DFS Namespaces

For a stand-alone namespace, the user must be a member of the local Administrators group on the destination server.

There are three permissions options for a domain-based namespace:

Option 1: Membership in the Domain Admins group

Option 2 (if there are more than one namespace servers):

Permission to administer all namespaces that are hosted on the source server

Member of the local Administrators group on the destination server

Option 3 (if there is a single namespace server):

Permission to delete and create domain-based namespaces in the domain

Member of the local Administrators group on the destination server

Permissions required to perform migration on the source server

This section describes permissions that are required to perform the migration on the source server.

Permissions required to migrate DFS Namespaces

For a stand-alone namespace, the user must have membership in the local Administrators group on the source server.

There are three permissions options for a domain-based namespace:

Option 1: Membership in the Domain Admins group

Option 2 (if there are more than one namespace servers):

Permission to administer the all namespaces that are hosted on the source server

Member of the local Administrators group on the source server

Option 3 (if there is a single namespace server):

Permission to delete and create domain-based namespaces in the domain

Member of the local Administrators group on the destination server

Permissions required for DFS Replication

For DFS Replication, the user who starts the migration must be a member of the Domain Admins group or have delegated permissions to the replication groups and replication members. This permission is required to remove the source server from replication groups to which it belongs. If the permissions to administer a replication group have been delegated to a particular user through the DFS Management snap-in, that user can use the DFS Management snap-in to perform tasks such as removing the source server from a replication group. The user must also be a member of the local Administrators group on the source server and the destination server.

File and Storage Services Overview

Applies To: Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012

This topic is for Information Technology Professionals (IT Pros) looking for info about servers running the File and Storage Services role in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012, including what’s new, a list of role services, and where to find evaluation and deployment information. For info about Windows Server 2016, see Storage in Windows Server 2016.

If you’re looking for help with Windows on a PC or tablet instead of a server, see Windows Help.

Did you know that Microsoft Azure provides similar functionality in the cloud? Learn more about Microsoft Azure storage solutions. Create a hybrid storage solution in Microsoft Azure: — Learn about StorSimple hybrid cloud storage — Use Azure StorSimple for hybrid cloud storage — Migrate to Azure Premium Storage

Did you mean…

Role description

File and Storage Services includes technologies that help you set up and manage one or more file servers, which are servers that provide central locations on your network where you can store files and share them with users. If your users need access to the same files and applications, or if centralized backup and file management are important to your organization, you should set up one or more servers as a file server by installing the File and Storage Services role and the appropriate role services.

The File and Storage Services role and the Storage Services role service are installed by default, but without any additional role services. This basic functionality enables you to use Server Manager or Windows PowerShell to manage the storage functionality of your servers. However, to set up or manage a file server, you should use the Add Roles and Features Wizard in Server Manager or the Install-WindowsFeature Windows PowerShell cmdlet to install additional File and Storage Services role services, such as the role services discussed in this topic.

Practical applications

Administrators can use the File and Storage Services role to set up and manage multiple file servers and their storage capabilities by using Server Manager or Windows PowerShell. Some of the specific applications include the following:

Storage Spaces — Use to deploy high availability storage that is resilient and scalable by using cost-effective industry-standard disks.

Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming User Profiles — Use to redirect the path of local folders (such as the Documents folder) or an entire user profile to a network location, while caching the contents locally for increased speed and availability.

Work Folders — Use to enable users to store and access work files on personal PCs and devices, in addition to corporate PCs. Users gain a convenient location to store work files and access them from anywhere. Organizations maintain control over corporate data by storing the files on centrally managed file servers and optionally specifying user device policies (such as encryption and lock screen passwords). Work Folders is a new role service in Windows Server 2012 R2.

Data Deduplication — Use to reduce the disk space requirements of your files, saving money on storage.

iSCSI Target Server — Use to create centralized, software-based, and hardware-independent iSCSI disk subsystems in storage area networks (SANs).

Server Manager — Use to remotely manage multiple file servers from a single window.

Windows PowerShell Use to automate the management of the majority of administration tasks for file servers.

New and changed functionality

For information about new File and Storage Services functionality in Windows Server 2016, see What’s New in Storage in Windows Server 2016.

The following table describes some of the major changes in File and Storage Services functionality that is available in Windows Server 2012 R2.

Feature/functionality	New or updated?	Description
Work Folders	New	Provides a consistent way for users to access their work files from their personal computers and devices. See Work Folders for more information.
Server Message Block	Updated	Enhancements include automatic rebalancing of Scale-Out File Server clients, improved performance of SMB Direct, and improved SMB event messages. See What’s New in SMB for more information.
Storage Spaces	Updated	Enhancements include SSD and HDD storage tiers, an SSD-based write-back cache, parity space support for failover clusters, dual parity support, and greatly decreased storage space rebuild times. See What’s New in Storage Spaces for more information.
DFS Replication	Updated	Enhancements include database cloning for large performance gains during initial sync, a Windows PowerShell module for DFS Replication, a new DFS Replication WMI provider, faster replication on high bandwidth connections, conflict and preexisting data recovery, and support for rebuilding corrupt databases without unexpected data loss. See What’s New in DFS Replication and DFS Namespaces for more information.
iSCSI Target Server	Updated	Updates include virtual disk enhancements, manageability enhancements in a hosted or private cloud, and improved optimization to allow disk-level caching. See What’s New in iSCSI Target Server for more information.

The following table describes some of the major changes in File and Storage Services functionality that are available in Windows Server 2012.

Feature/functionality	New or updated?	Description
Data Deduplication	New	Saves disk space by storing a single copy of identical data on the volume.
iSCSI Target Server	New	Provides block storage to other servers and applications on the network by using the Internet SCSI (iSCSI) standard.
Storage Spaces and storage pools	New	Enables you to virtualize storage by grouping industry-standard disks into storage pools and then creating storage spaces from the available capacity in the storage pools.
Unified remote management of File and Storage Services in Server Manager	New	Enables you to remotely manage multiple file servers, including their role services and storage, from a single window.
Windows PowerShell cmdlets for File and Storage Services	New	Provides Windows PowerShell cmdlets to perform the majority of administration tasks for file and storage servers.

For more information about what else is new in File and Storage Services and related technologies, see the following topics.

Data Deduplication

By using the Data Deduplication role service to reduce the number of duplicate blocks of data in storage, you can store much more data in a given amount of storage capacity than was possible in previous releases that used Single Instance Storage (SIS) or NTFS file system compression. General purpose file servers can typically reduce storage capacity utilization by a 2:1 ratio (for example, files that previously used 1 TB would use 500 GB after data deduplication). Servers that host virtualization data (such as VHD files) often reduce storage capacity utilization by a 20:1 ratio, which reduces 1 TB of data to 50 GB.

Data deduplication is highly scalable, resource efficient, and nonintrusive. It can run on dozens of large volumes of primary data simultaneously without affecting other workloads on the server. Low impact on the server workloads is maintained by throttling the CPU and memory resources that are consumed. By using data deduplication jobs, you can schedule when data deduplication should run, specify the resources to duplicate, and tune file selection. Data integrity and recoverability are maximized through checksum and other algorithms by using selective redundancy.

When combined with BranchCache, the same optimization techniques are applied to data that is transferred over the WAN to a branch office. This results in faster file download times and reduced bandwidth consumption.

What value does this change add?

Data deduplication uses variable-size chunking and compression, which together deliver storage optimization ratios of 2:1 for general file servers and up to 20:1 for virtualization data.

What works differently?

Windows Server 2012 includes Data Deduplication as a role service that you can install and manage by using Server Manager or Windows PowerShell cmdlets. The default settings can quickly reduce the amount of storage capacity that is used by your data. You can fine-tune the settings to see more gains or use Windows PowerShell cmdlets to create scripts that will trigger storage optimization when and where you want it.

For more detailed information, see Data Deduplication.

iSCSI Target Server

iSCSI Target Server provides block storage to other servers and applications on the network by using the Internet SCSI (iSCSI) standard. When combined with other continuously available technologies in Windows Server 2012, iSCSI Target Server provides continuously available storage that was previously available only on expensive, high-end storage area network (SAN) devices.

What value does this change add?

Network or diskless boot By using boot-capable network adapters or a software loader, you can deploy hundreds of diskless servers. With the iSCSI Target Server, the deployment is fast (in Microsoft testing, 256 computers deployed in 34 minutes). By using differencing virtual hard disks, you can save up to 90% of the storage space for the operating system images. This is ideal for large deployments of identical operating system images, such as a server farm that is running Hyper-V or high-performance computing (HPC) clusters.

Server application storage Some applications (for example, Hyper-V and Exchange Server) require block storage, which is raw storage that appears to applications as an unformatted disk, which is ready for direct management by the application. iSCSI Target Server can provide these applications with continuously available block storage. Because the storage is remotely accessible, iSCSI Target Server can also consolidate block storage for central or branch office locations.

Heterogeneous storage iSCSI Target Server supports iSCSI initiators on operating systems other than Windows, making it easy to share storage in a heterogeneous environment.

Dev, test, and demo lab environments With iSCSI Target Server, any computer running Windows Server 2012 can be a network-accessible block storage device. This is useful for testing applications prior to deployment on a SAN storage device.

What works differently?

In Windows Server 2012, iSCSI Target Server management functionality moves from a separate download to part of the Windows Server operating system. You can use Server Manager or Windows PowerShell cmdlets to set up, configure, and manage iSCSI Target Server. Windows Server 2012 also includes changes to the clustering resource model that improve scalability so that more initiators can connect to the target servers.

For more detailed information, see iSCSI Target Server.

Storage Spaces

Storage Spaces is a storage subsystem included in Windows that enables you to group industry-standard disks (such as Serial ATA or Serial Attached SCSI disks) into one or more storage pools, and then create virtual disks known as “storage spaces” from the available capacity in the storage pools. Storage Spaces provides resilient storage virtualization capabilities for business-critical virtual or physical deployments, including deployments on scalable multi-node servers.

After you group physical disks into storage pools, you can create virtual disks from the available capacity without individually managing each physical disk. This aggregation of disks enables you to create high performance, resilient, and cost-effective storage solutions. In Windows Server, you can use storage pools with Storage Spaces or with non-Microsoft storage subsystems, including subsystems that use the SMI-S standard.

What value does this change add?

Storage Spaces reduces administration costs by decreasing the time administrators spend provisioning storage. They also simplify administration tasks, enabling administrators who are not storage professionals to set up and manage resilient and high availability storage. Storage Spaces also saves hardware costs by using industry-standard disks for resilient storage with high availability.

What works differently?

With storage pools, instead of managing each disk individually, you add physical disks to one or more pools and then create virtual disks from the available capacity. You then create volumes on the virtual disks, as if they were physical disks.

Unified remote management of File and Storage Services in Server Manager

The File and Storage Services role in Server Manager enables you to remotely manage multiple file servers from a single window in Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012, including role services and storage. The File and Storage Services page in Server Manager provides the following sections to manage all servers running Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2012 that have been added to Server Manager:

Servers Manage basic server functionality on servers running Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2008. You can use the Servers page to perform such tasks as restarting servers and launching administrative tools.

Storage Pools Manage storage pools, including the physical disks that make up the pools and virtual disks that are created from available capacity in the pools.

Volumes Manage volumes, including scanning for file system errors, extending volumes, and configuring Data Deduplication.

Shares Manage SMB and NFS shares, including creating new shares and setting up quotas.

iSCSI Virtual Disks Manage iSCSI virtual disks, including creating new iSCSI virtual disks and targets.

What value does this change add?

Managing multiple file servers and file server technologies from a single Server Manager window enables administrators to work more efficiently and get a better overall view of the servers they manage, so managing multiple servers becomes as easy as managing one.

What works differently?

Prior to Windows Server 2012, managing multiple file servers meant using Remote Desktop to connect to each server, or opening multiple instances of the administration console (one per server). In Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012, you can use Server Manager to perform many of the functions that are provided by the following standalone management consoles:

Share and Storage Management

File Server Resource Manager (quotas and assigning folder management properties to file shares)

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target (not available in Windows Server 2012)

Storage Manager for SANs (not available in Windows Server 2012)

In addition to the integrated functionality, you can use the Tools menu in Server Manager to launch administrative tools on any of the managed servers, including DFS Management, File Server Resource Manager, and Services for Network File System (NFS).

Although the File and Storage Services role in Server Manager does not support fully managing servers running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008, you can add these servers to Server Manager and use the Servers , and All Servers pages to view details about the servers and launch administrative tools. For more information, see Managing Down-Level Windows-based Servers from Server Manager in Windows Server 2012.

Windows PowerShell cmdlets for File and Storage Services

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 include Windows PowerShell cmdlets to perform the majority of administration tasks for file and storage servers.

What value does this change add?

Extensive Windows PowerShell cmdlets allow administrators to automate common administration tasks by using Windows PowerShell scripts.

What works differently?

Instead of using a variety of snap-ins or disparate command-line utilities, administrators can manage their servers by using Windows PowerShell cmdlets and scripts. Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 include Windows PowerShell cmdlets to manage the following file and storage technologies.

DFS Replication (New in Windows Server 2012 R2)