6. Identify applications that might have a compatibility issue by verifying whether the ISV who created the application supports or has logoed the application(s) on a newer version of the operating system. (The Windows Server Catalog contains a list of all ISVs that have pledged to support their apps on Windows Server 2008 R2 as well as a list of all logoed applications)
7. If an application is not supported or logoed on Windows Server 2008 R2, contact the ISV to obtain a new version of the application that runs on the new operating system or request support for your obsolete application.
8. If the ISV does not support their application on newer versions of Windows Server, or if you are unable to determine the ISV’s policy, you may still assess your application's compatibility, security, stability, reliability and availability in a Windows Server 2008 R2 environment by taking advantage of Microsoft’s free self-test tools and resources listed below.
9. Prepare for an application upgrade by reviewing the links and resources listed below. Ease the process by identifying and eliminating problems before upgrading.
10.
11. Download the free test tools and resources to assess your application’s compatibility on newer versions of Windows Server.
12. Create a test plan for all applications that need to run on the upgraded servers.
13. Empower your build/test teams with more comprehensive test scenarios based on Microsoft’s application development/testing standards and recommended upgrade practices. Test tools such as the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT Version 5.5) and Software Certification Toolkit may also be used as black-box evaluators to identify any potential compatibility issues.
14. Create a remediation plan if needed to update your applications. Learn about Windows Server 2008 R2 application and web platform enhancements such as:
15. Build More Flexible Web Applications: Internet Information Server 7.5, PHP optimized, ASP .NET on Server Core, Enhanced FTP and WebDAV
16. Build Connected Systems: Windows Communication/Workflow Foundation, Windows Process Activation Service, Microsoft Message Queue
17. Build Scalable Applications: Support for up to 256 logical processors, NUMA support, Thread Pool, Thread Ordering Service
20. Design Highly Manageable Applications: Microsoft Management Console, Windows PowerShell™ 2.0, Windows Task Scheduler, Windows Eventing, Windows Installer, ClickOnce
21. Develop Federation-Aware Applications: Active Directory Federation Services, Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services, Windows Authorization Manager
22. Develop more reliable applications: Application Recovery and Restart, Restart Manager, Transactional NTFS, Transactional Registry
23. Prepare for an application upgrade by reviewing the links and resources listed below.
24.
25. If you have applications you’re concerned about, explore our Application Compatibility Toolkit
36. Upgrading Active Directory Domains to Windows Server 2008 AD DS Domains - This guide provides detailed guidance for upgrading Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domains to Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domains.
37. Active Directory Domain Services and DNS Server Migration Guide - This document provides guidance for migrating the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Server or Domain Name System (DNS) Server roles from an x86-based or x64-based server running Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, or Windows Server 2008 R2 to a new Windows Server 2008 R2 server.
38. Local User and Group Migration Guide - Administrators can use Windows Server Migration Tools to migrate server roles, features, shares, operating system settings, and other data to computers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2.
39. Performing the Upgrade of Active Directory Domains to Windows Server 2008 AD DS Domains: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc725611(WS.10).aspx
40. The same information is also available as a document here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=fa629de2-f4dd-47ac-8d80-3db46b2877a2
41. Verifications that can be made and hotfixes that can be installed before beginning a migration: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee522994(WS.10).aspx#BKMK_KnownIssues
46. How to perform a rolling upgrade from Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003 – This document describes how to perform a rolling upgrade from Windows 2000.
47. Additional information on rolling upgrades: http://blogs.msdn.com/clustering/archive/2008/08/28/8904281.aspx
48. Documentation discussing special cases and consideration when migration to a R2 cluster (from 2003, 2008 or R2). Additional considerations needed for DFS-Replication, DHCP, (MS)DTC, Exchange, File Server, MSMQ, Print, SQL, VMs and 3rd Party Resources. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee791924(WS.10).aspx
49. General Windows Server Failover Clustering migration guide: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730990.aspx
56. Infrastructure Planning and Design Guidelines: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/solutionaccelerators/cc197101.aspxSummary<br />The Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 provide significant enhancements over the Windows 2000 family of server products.<br />Active Directory becomes an even more powerful administrative resource and can be deployed in heterogeneous environments including Windows 2000 Servers. The Active Directory Installation Wizard simplifies deployments. <br />The Microsoft Assessment and Planning toolkit can help locate servers running Windows 2000 Server and provide detailed configuration information, simplifying planning migrations. While the Application Compatibility Toolkit eases the process of verifying whether existing applications will continue to work with the new operating system.<br />Considering the age of Windows 2000 Servers, now is the time for all organizations – large and small – to plan a migration and begin enjoying the benefits of newer versions of Windows Server.<br />Related Links<br />See the following resources for further information:<br />Using the Application Compatibility Toolkit at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/compatible/appcompat/. <br />Top 10 Features for Organizations Upgrading from Windows 2000 Server at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/top10w2k/.<br />Top 10 Features for Organizations Upgrading from Windows 2000 Server at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/top10w2k/.<br />For the latest information about Windows Server see http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver .<br />