Event details
126 Comments
- Hi everyone! JB Lewis from Minneapolis, MN, USA
Janine-PatrickMicrosoft
Hi JB! We have Minnesota and Iowa represented today! 🙂- Elden_ChristensenElden Christensen here from the Windows Server development team... born and raised in Minneapolis myself!! /wave
- When performing in place upgrades, is it possible to upgrade / downgrade the type of server installed (Standard, Datacenter, Essentials etc)? This is assuming we have the appropriate licenses.
- ScottmcaHi Anthony, In general, you can "up" in editions but not down. To go down would be new install, not upgrade. Some more info https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-conversion-options https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-overview
- Artem Pronichkin
Also take a note about this documentation on how to change between OS editions without in-place upgrade. It might get helpful in some cases.
https://learn.microsoft.com/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-conversion-options
Welcome to the Windows Server Ask Microsoft Anything!
This live hour gives you the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback directly to the Windows Server team around Windows Server updates and upgrades
Please post any questions in a separate, new comment thread. To start introduce yourself below and tell us where you're logging in from!
- Hi everyone, I'm Ned Pyle, Principal Program Manager for Windows Server at Microsoft, here in Seattle WA. I can answer questions around SMB, file services, Storage Replica, Active Directory, and maybe other goo
When will we finally be able to disable NTLM? - msdeploy does not support kerberos - CA services communicate to AD - domain join - trust validation - GPO client (see https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ask-the-directory-services-team/ntlm-blocking-and-you-application-analysis-and-auditing/bc-p/3283515/highlight/true#M864) all use NTLM. My Ubuntu WSL instance can auth by kerberos with little configuration, why can't windows native services do the same?
Cliff_FisherWe're actively working on projects that are tangential to eventual deprecation of NTLM. We don't have an exact timeline - there's a lot to do! - but it is a high priority.
- Have a dozen or so VMs that are file servers, some of which also host printers. They are 2012 and 2012R2. Deciding whether to attempt in-place upgrade or migration to new VMs using Storage Migration Service. What are your thoughts on advantages and disadvantages either way? Thanks!
- Hi Greg. I always recommend migrating old physical file servers to new VMs, as that ends their hardware ties and gives them more flexibility in the future. With 2012 R2 you will also need to "double-upgrade" in order to get to WS2022 and I think triple upgrade from WS2012. The File Server role runs very well as a VM. The main downside to this is just time - an upgrade is pretty fast and mostly seamless these days; a migration of course takes far more time. It's worth the effort for the future-proofness, IMO. One nice thing is you can start with SMS and if you don't like it, switch to inplace upgrade. Much harder to do the reverse 🙂
- We had this question from Twitter (https://twitter.com/mdgrkb/status/1632088437309288449) - while we aren't hosting the event on Twitter, sharing this so folks can benefit from the answer: "Will you bring up to date the Active Directory Migration Tool ADMT currently supporting only up to Windows Server 2012?"
- Cliff_FisherWe recognize the limitations of the currently available versions of ADMT. We have an item on our list to internally discuss the future of ADMT, which is tentatively scheduled for next quarter but subject to change.
- Hi, I'm looking for advice/guidance on migrating my 2012 R2 Essentials server to Server 2022 Essentials on new hardware. This is a single server in a small business with ~20 seats. Any detailed guidance available particularly around migration of User accounts and files, and for folder redirection?
- Elden_Christensen
Well, couple of considerations...
- Windows Server supports N-2 In-place Upgrades. Meaning that you can jump two versions, so that means you can upgrade to WS2022 from either WS2019 or WS2016. That means you will have to do a double-hop to make that big of a jump from WS2012 R2.
- Essentials is a little different in WS2022. First off WS2022 Essentials is only available through OEM's, it is not generally available. Secondly, all of the special Essentials features have been deprecated / removed. WS2022 Essentials is exactly the same bits as Standard, it's just a discounted license available through OEM's. That makes it different from a binary perspective from what you have today.
Hope that helps, Elden
- Hi, Appreciate the differences and we have already purchased the server so definitely looking at migration rather than in-place. Is there any Microsoft documentation that explains the steps to take to migrate to Server 2022 from 2012 R2 Essentials. Since we're a small business with lousy Internet speeds and a server based accounting package, a migration is necessary before 2012 R2 reaches EOL. Hardware approaching EOL as purchased with 2012 R2! Any pointers to relevant Microsoft documentation appreciated.
- I had upgraded our 2012 R2 WSUS server to Server 2019 and had problems with clients checking in, getting updates, so I had to rebuild the server. I plan on rebuilding our print server on Server 2019 (clean up/remove old printers and drivers) and using the same IP/Name. I have read the information for print server migration, any other things I should be careful with? I would love to do an inplace update for our 2012 R2 MDT/PXE boot server, but I am fearful. Thanks for any advice you can offer!
- Janine-PatrickIf you have done your research on the print server migration you should be good to go. We do not have people with deep print server migration expertise monitoring the chat today, however there are no "gotchas" based on our knowledge. Thank you for your question!
- As we are aware, Microsoft recommends upgrading the SharePoint server by adding a new windows 2019 servers to the current farm. Will there be any push back from Microsoft premier support, if the SharePoint servers are In-Place upgraded from WS 2012 to WS 2019 ?
- Jeff-WoolseyWhile the Windows Server support team supports in-place upgrades (up to N+2), the SharePoint team does not support in place upgrades. SharePoint Upgrades are documented here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/upgrade-and-update/overview-of-the-upgrade-process-2019 To learn more about Windows Server in place upgrades and what is supported see: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-overview
- Thank you. An additional question here, on this case, do we get a "Best efforts" support from the MS premier support team or No-support at all?
- Q1. Are there any "gotchas" for upgrading straight from 2012 R2 to Server 2019? Q2. Given the recent monthly patch issue with WSUS servers which had been upgraded from Server 2016 to Server 2022, is there any reason to avoid that route for those of us running Server 2016 WSUS servers?
- Rob-HindmanHi Tom, we fully support upgrading from 2012 R2 directly to 2019 because that within the 2 version upgrade, as documented here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/upgrade-overview#which-version-of-windows-server-should-i-upgrade-to I will leave the second part of the question, the WSUS topics for a colleague. -Rob.
- GustavoRubioHi Tom, related to the WSUS question. The direct upgrade of Server 2012R2 to Server 2019 is a supported scenario. If you run the upgrade build in compatibility checker there maybe additional actions that you must take, but those will be flagged there. Alternatively, you could setup a new server as a downstream server. Sync all the updates and replace it as the upstream if you want to minimize downtime.
