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In this document
Preinstallation information
System requirements
Before you start Setup
Supported upgrade paths
Upgrading server roles
Terminal Services
Upgrade limitations
Frequently asked questions about upgrading
For information about known issues that you may experience while upgrading and solutions for
these issues see Known Issues When Upgrading to Windows Server 2008
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=1108303).
Preinstallation information
This section contains information that you should review and steps that you should take before you
upgrade to Windows Server 2008.
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System requirements
The following are estimated system requirements for upgrading to Windows Server 2008. If your
computer has less than the minimum requirements, you cannot install Windows Server 2008
correctly. Actual requirements vary based on your system configuration and the applications and
features that you install.
Processor
Processor performance depends not only on the clock frequency of the processor, but also on the
number of processor cores and the size of the processor cache. The following are the processor
requirements for this product:
Minimum: 1 GHz (for x86 processors) or 1.4 GHz (for x64 processors)
Recommended: 2 GHz or faster
Note
An Intel Itanium 2 processor is required for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based
Systems.
RAM
The following are the RAM requirements for this product:
Minimum: 512 MB
Recommended: 2 GB or more
Maximum (32-bit systems): 4 GB (for Windows Server 2008 Standard) or 64 GB (for
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise or Windows Server 2008 Datacenter)
Maximum (64-bit systems): 32 GB (for Windows Server 2008 Standard) or 1 TB (for Windows
Server 2008 Enterprise, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter), or 2 TB (for Windows
Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems)
Disk space requirements
The following are the approximate disk space requirements for the system partition. Itanium-based
and x64-based operating systems vary from these estimates. Additional disk space may be required
if you install the system over a network. For more information, see the Microsoft Web site
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=992854).
Minimum: 15 GB
Recommended: 40 GB or more
Note
Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and
dump files.
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Additional requirements
The following hardware is also required:
DVD-ROM drive
Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor
Keyboard and Microsoft mouse (or other compatible pointing device)
Additional disk space requirements for Active Directory domain controllers
If your Active Directory database and log files are placed in any of the following directories, ensure
that the volume has at least twice the space used by the database and that it has log files available
before you install Windows Server 2008:
%SystemRoot%
%ProgramFiles%
%SystemDrive%\Program Files
%ProgramFiles(x86)%
%SystemDrive%\build
%SystemDrive%\InstalledRepository
%ProfilesFolder%
%ProgramData%
%SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings
For more information, refer to Upgrading Active Directory Domains to Windows Server 2008 AD DS
Domains (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=890325).
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Back up your servers. Your backup should include all the data and configuration information
that is necessary for the computer to function. It is important to perform a backup of
configuration information for servers, especially those that provide a network infrastructure,
such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. When you perform the backup,
be sure to include the boot and system partitions and the system state data. Another way to
back up configuration information is to create a backup set for Automated System Recovery.
Be aware that you cannot uninstall Windows Server 2008. After the upgrade is
complete, you cannot uninstall Windows Server 2008. However, if Setup fails during the
upgrade, you can roll back to your previous operating system.
Ensure that your applications are compatible. In the Setup Wizard, after you have
selected the Upgrade option, you are presented with a dialog box that includes a link to
application compatibility information. Be sure to follow the link and review the information
about your installed applications before you proceed with the upgrade.
In addition, review the manufacturers Web site for your installed applications to:
Determine if the application is supported throughout the upgrade process to Windows
Server 2008.
Verify that the manufacturer supports the application on Windows Server 2008.
Review the known issues. For information about specific upgrade issues, read Known
Issues When Upgrading to Windows Server 2008 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?
LinkId=1108303).
Operating System
Windows Server 2003 R2 Standard
Edition
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
with Service Pack 1 (SP1)
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition
with Service Pack 2 (SP2)
Upgrade Options
Full installation of Windows Server 2008
Standard
Full installation of Windows Server 2008
Standard without Hyper-V technology
Full installation of Windows Server 2008
Enterprise
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Server
Role
Upgrade Information
Active Directory
For more information about new features in AD FS for Windows Server 2008, see
Federation
Services (AD FS) What's New in AD FS in Windows Server 2008
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=856848).
Active Directory
Lightweight
Directory
Services
(AD LDS)
Active
Directory Rights
Management
Services
(AD RMS)
Application
Server
You cannot migrate the Application Server role from Windows Server 2003 to
Windows Server 2008. It was rebuilt for Windows Server 2008, and it includes
default support for applications that are built with .NET Framework 3.0
components, such as Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), Windows
Workflow Foundation (WF), and Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).
Application Server offers optional role services that activate features in Windows
Server 2008 (such as Windows Process Activation Service (WAS) support for non
-HTTP protocols, TCP Port Sharing, and support for IIS 7.0). If you upgrade your
server to Windows Server 2008 from Windows Server 2003 or an earlier
operating system, and you want to use the capabilities of the Application Server
role, you must reinstall the Application Server role by using the Add Roles Wizard
in Server Manager. If you configure Windows Server 2008 with the correct
application services by using the Add Roles Wizard, your applications will work
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correctly after you move them from Windows Server 2003 to Windows
Server 2008.
For more information, see Frequently Asked Questions for Application Server
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=11093610).
DHCP Server
DNS Server
In some instances, domain names that were not blocked in previous versions of
Windows Server are blocked in Windows Server 2008. You may experience
issues if you subsequently implement or remove the Intra-site Automatic Tunnel
Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) or the Web Proxy Auto-Discovery Protocol
(WSUAD).
For more information, see DNS Server Global Query Block List
11
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110937 ).
When you upgrade a fax server from Windows Server 2003 to Windows
Server 2008, the Fax Server role is automatically installed in the upgrade.
However, only certain settings are maintained during the upgrade:
You must reconfigure Fax Sharing.
Fax Server
Any settings on the Security tab in the Properties dialog box of Fax
Service Manager revert to the default settings.
Fax user accounts (Fax Users and Fax Routing Assistants) are features in
Windows Server 2008, and they are not created when you upgrade. You
must create them manually.
The Wbadmin command replaces the Ntbackup command that was released with
previous versions of Windows. You cannot recover backups that you created with
Ntbackup by using Wbadmin.
File Services
Network Access
Protection (NAP)
To enable NAP, you must upgrade the following Windows Server 2003 server
roles and role services to the specified Windows Server 2008 server role or role
service:
Upgrade the Internet Authentication Service (IAS) to Network Policy Server
(applies to all NAP enforcement methods).
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(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=111013 ).
Print Services
All existing printers and printer drivers are deleted when you upgrade to
Windows Server 2008, so it is important to back up all printers before beginning
the upgrade. To do so, use the Print Management MMC snap-in on a computer
running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.
For more information, see Migrate Print Services
14
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110939 ).
Streaming Media
Services
Terminal
Services
For more information, see Update the Windows Media Server Platform
15
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110940 ).
For more information, see the Terminal Services section later in this document.
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110941 )
Upgrade from a stand-alone installation running on Windows Server 2003
refer to the scenario covering stand-alone UDDI running on a failover
cluster server
UDDI Services
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=11094317)
Upgrade from a distributed installation consisting of exactly one database
and at least one Web applicationall running on Windows Server 2003
18
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110944 )
Upgrade a Distributed Installation Running a SQL Server Failover Cluster
19
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110945 )
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Web Server
Windows
Deployment
Services
WSUS
For more information, see the Windows Deployment Role Step-by-Step Guide
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=8462822).
For more information, see Windows Server Update Services 3.0 SP2 Migration
Guide (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=15677223).
Terminal Services
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When you upgrade the server, the Terminal Services Session Directory database is not preserved.
However, if the server name remains the same, the terminal servers that are configured to use that
Terminal Services Session Directory server will rejoin the farm in TS Session Broker, and the
database automatically rebuilds.
When you perform the upgrade, we recommend that no users access the terminal server farm until
all terminal servers have rejoined the farm in TS Session Broker. If you do not wait for the
database to rebuild, users may not be able to reconnect to existing sessions.
Although the rebuild process occurs automatically, you can force the terminal servers to rejoin the
farm by reapplying TS Session settings in TS Session Broker (or apply Terminal Services Session
Directory settings if the terminal servers are running Windows Server 2003). You can do this by
using Terminal Services Configuration on each terminal server in the farm, by using Windows
Management Instrumentation (WMI), or by reapplying Group Policy settings.
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If you are running the Terminal Services Session Directory service on a server cluster, we
recommend that you remove the Terminal Services Session Directory service resource from the
cluster before you perform a server upgrade.
Upgrade limitations
Note the following limitations when you are upgrading to Windows Server 2008:
You must have a Windows Server 2003 operating system with Service Pack 1 or a Windows
Server 2003 operating system with Service Pack 2 installed to upgrade to Windows
Server 2008.
You cannot upgrade to a version of the operating system that has fewer features than the
operating system you are currently running. For example, you can only upgrade
Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition to Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition.
The Windows Server 2003 for Itanium-based Systems operating systems and Windows
Server 2003 Web Edition operating systems cannot be upgraded. If you have these editions,
you must perform a clean install and migrate the data from these computers to the new
operating system.
Upgrading is supported from x86-based and x64-based computers, but cross-architecture
upgrades are not supported. For example, you cannot upgrade from an x86-based computer
to an x64-based computer, even if the server you are upgrading is x64-capable.
Cross-language upgrades are not supported.
You cannot upgrade the failover clusters from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.
Before upgrading, you must uninstall failover clustering. For more information, refer to article
935197 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=11094625).
Upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 is
not supported.
Tool
Description
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Note
The appearance of an application, device, or system in
the Windows Server Catalog does not imply that it is
supported during or after upgrading to Windows
Server 2008.
This tool is a highly-automated self-test (which lasts twofour hours). It is designed to streamline the time required
to develop and test commercial and custom applications.
Upon completion, you receive a detailed summary outlining
the test results.
Passing Works with Windows Server 2008 testing indicates
that the application's results are:
Verified by an independent (non-Microsoft) company.
Listed in the Windows Server Catalog.
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Use these tests after obtaining the results from the Works
with Windows Server Software test. This testing requires
three-five days.
Applications and hardware that demonstrate this high
standard receive the Certified for Windows Server 2008
logo and are listed in the Windows Server Catalog.
Resource
Description
Provides the following:
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?
32
LinkID=87625 )
Marketing resources
Resources for independent software vendors
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The support provided is in accordance with your organizations technical support agreement and
Microsofts technical support policies.
Windows delivered software is defined as any software or software component, role, or function
that ships with Windows Server or is delivered to Windows Server through Windows Update. This
includes Microsoft utilities and applications.
Note
There may be scenarios in which a Windows Server component, role, or function does not
support an upgrade. The Compatibility Report will list these scenarios during the Windows
Server 2008 Setup.
If you experience issues while upgrading to Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Customer Service and
Support (CSS) will assist customers in restoring their upgraded Windows Server 2003 environment
to a supported state, even if non-Windows software may be contributing to the issue.
If a backup of the operating system is available, CSS will follow disaster recovery processes
to assist you in restoring your server environment to a pre-upgrade status. There is no
guarantee that any data can be recovered.
If a backup is unavailable, CSS will assist you in recovering to a supported state as quickly as
possible. For example, CSS will assist in reinstalling Windows Server 2003 and in upgrading
to Windows Server 2008.
During the recovery process, Microsoft will engage independent software vendors (ISVs),
independent hardware vendors (IHVs), and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) at its
discretion to assist in the effort to preserve application or operating system data.
Links Table
1
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=99299
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=104824
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110830
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=99285
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=89032
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110831
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110934
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=85684
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110935
10
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110936
11
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110937
12
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=82917
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13
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=111013
14
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110939
15
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110940
16
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110941
17
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110943
18
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110944
19
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110945
20
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=111690
21
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=111691
22
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=84628
23
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=156772
24
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=101640
25
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110946
26
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110947
27
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=80785
28
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110948
29
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110964
30
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110962
31
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110961
32
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=87625
33
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110951
34
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110952
35
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=110954
Community Content
Thanks for your feedback
A correction is in the works and will be published shortly. Thanks!
2/4/2009
tonysoper_MSFT
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