Migrating DHCP server in LIVE environment from Microsoft Windows 2003 Server to Microsoft Windows 2008 is not an easy task to do. You have to shutdown your old server to configure your new server. Let me share a very handy and built-in method to migrate your DHCP server from windows 2003 server to windows 2008 server. You can perform this task even in office hours without any service interruption, no down time scheduling. All the things including scope, reservations and server settings will me moved to your new server. Steps are given as under;
1. You need to log into your DHCP server (Old DHCP server running windows 2003) with your administrator account and run the under given command by using the CMD;
netsh dhcp server export c:filename.txt all
The above command will take a complete backup of the DHCP server at the specified location.
2. Log into your new DHCP server (New DHCP server running windows 2008) with administrator privileges. Copy the above backed up file from the old server so that your can import that file into your new DHCP server that is already running DHCP role. I assume that you have copied the file to your C drive of 2008 server.
netsh dhcp server import c:filename.txt all
You might get some kind confliction errors if you have some predefined settings in your new DHCP server. Nothing to worry about, just go into your new server and remove the default settings for the server. There might be already given DNS server that can conflict with your old settings.
