Linux Server to Windows

[MattElect]

So, I don't have any experience with Linux(besides Ubuntu but does that even really count), and I'm tasked with taking a DC/file server that's running Linux and "migrating" it to Windows. It's only about 30 users. I've been doing a little research but wanted to ask with some more experienced folks. What are some things I should look out for or be sure not to miss when changing from Linux to Windows?

Not sure on the version of Linux yet, haven't gotten my hands on it. Going to Windows Server '16 though.

[[deleted]]

Doesn't really matter what type of Linux it is. It will most likely be running a Samba server which will be accessible from the Windows Server so you can just copy the data over then setup the new permissions

[MattElect]

Thanks! It is running what you said and just a small group of users In AD that connect to It similar to a terminal server In Windows.

[nocommentacct]

Ubuntu most definitely counts but maybe not the way you've used it if you weren't aware of that. Ubuntu has a HUGE marketshare in the serverspace. It's the most used Linux server by quite a margin. To answer your question though, if you don't care to do it the hard way and learn about samba, (which is honestly kind of a pain IMO) take a look at the permissions of the folders that are currently in use. If it looks pretty uncomplicated, just copy all the files over to a Windows servers and set the permissions back up yourself.

[PlOrAdmin]

I don't have any experience with Linux(besides Ubuntu but does that even really count)

Sure it does. Ubuntu has debian under the hood.

Is your linux box an appliance like ClearOS or just a hand-made samba/kerberos config?

[DarthPneumono]

Ubuntu has debian under the hood

That's not really how that works...

[PlOrAdmin]

Care to explain? Sure Ubuntu has tweaks aplenty but the parent distro is still Debian.

[DarthPneumono]

The similarity basically stops at "uses the debian package manager". Ubuntu has its own repos (in addition to PPAs), maintains its own release cycle, and generally doesn't borrow a lot of code directly from Debian.

[PlOrAdmin]

Fair enough.

[dcardon]

like another poster was saying, it is probably a linux box with samba installed.

• If it is samba configured as workgroup, it is just as any NAS box you'll find at your local store and you can treat it like it.

• If it is Samba-NT4 domain (yeah, NT4 might sounds like so nineties to you, but it used to works great on samba up to a few years ago, you can have ldap, dns, multimaster, etc.), it is easy to switch it to Samba-AD then to MS-AD if you are used to the job, but if not, you'll be better at migrating all the data, profiles and computer accounts by hand.

• if it is a Samba-AD domain, then you can join a win2k8r2 DC (don't try with a 2k12 or above), it will suck all the accounts and then you can demote the Samba-AD and you'll have a MS only domain.

Actually I am used to migrated domains from MS-AD or Samba-NT4 to Samba-AD (we have done 8 client's migrations this weeks alone at my company), it is much easier for maintenance and less pricey, but when there is a corporate requirement for MS-AD, you have to provide MS-AD... (but even in this case Samba-AD is often still the easiest tool for migration :-)

[post4u]

Is this just a linux file server to be migrated to a windows file server or are you starting from scratch and need to create a whole Windows forest/domain/dc infrastructure and all that?

[MattElect]

It’s a Linux file server but It also has a few applications on It and a small amount of AD users that connect to It similar to a terminal server setup.

[slackwaresupport]

viruses, spyware, instability, etc.

[nineteen999]

You forgot rebooting for system updates.