If you intend to migrate to Windows Server 2003, you'd better start planning now. If you plan to migrate and you're one of those companies that hasn't yet migrated to W2K Server, you're going to have a long and rather arduous road ahead. It's a steep migration path from NT Server to Windows Server 2003. Here are some pointers on simplifying the process, as well as some possible pitfalls to avoid. As with all migrations, but especially so with server migrations, the motto should be: festina lente (hurry slowly). The better your planning is and the more thorough your testing is, the smoother your migration is sure to be. Also, a wait-and-see approach is always prudent, otherwise you might end up as an interesting case study as to what can go wrong. The first important step on the migration road is to clearly identify your goals. In other words, for what business and technical reasons do you want to migrate? These are very important questions well worth spending some time on, because without a clear focus, you cannot set clear goals. Get everyone on track
To answer these questions, it is essential to make a collaborative effort between the IT department, executives, and all other departments of a company. As the facilitators and guides that must make it all happen, the IT migration team must come to this table well prepared. It should be able to translate those executive (and technical) dreams into reality, so the team should be able to judge what is possible, what is feasible, and what the best technical options and solutions are. To be prepared for these discussions, you should know the differences between the four different flavors of Windows Server 2003. Also be prepared to answer the inevitable questions and concerns about cost. Remember to take into account training costs -- they can be quite high depending on your team and the extent of your migration (you might also be migrating from Exchange Server 5.5 to 2000 and/or from Proxy Server 2 to ISA Server, and so on) And carefully consider whether you'll need to make use of professional services -- a distinct possibility, especially considering the big jump from NT to Windows Server 2003. You might also want to use some excellent third-party migration tools that are available (at a cost, of course). Consider cost implications
Hardware requirements can come at a hefty price, especially if you are migrating to a native Windows Server 2003 environment, and all clients are to be upgraded to XP. So check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL). Determining the compatibility with existing applications used in the company is also very important -- you don't want to discover that some crucial applications suddenly don't work anymore after the migration. If there are to be application upgrades or even a migration to different applications, you have to address this now. Obviously, there will also be costs involved and most likely training. Another important consideration with considerable cost implications is the licensing mode. Make sure you know what your licensing options are and what's best for your company. Also, you'll have to decide whether you're migrating to mixed or native (pure) mode. Your present infrastructure and needs will determine your choice.