It is about time I posted an update on our server rationalisation project as a result of implementing virtual server technology, specifically Microsoft Virtual Server 2005. Previously we migrated our domain controllers, exchange machines and print servers. Now these are done the old print server has finally been decommissioned and removed from the network, so too have the older terminal services machine, domain controller and exchange machine.

The next phase is the old web server – it’s called a web server but, over the years, became something of a jack of all trades serving whatever purpose was required at the time. It is taking quite some time to migrate this physical machine but I remain confident that it will be the right move in the long term. A number of steps are still required before this machine can finally be decommissioned:

• Completed Steps

• FTP services have now been removed and we plan to use an online encrypted file transfer service for larger files.
• All our self hosted web sites have now been migrated to a hosted service which will provider better performance – and traffic that was previously coming in through our firewall will be kept away.
• A number of other administrative tools and utilities have now been migrated off the machine.

In Progress

• EDI software that was running AS2 is being migrated to a hosted service in line with other EDI services we have.
• FTP file transfer and scripts we use to pull EDI from our mailbox is to be moved to another machine – this has been started but not completed.
• There is still some old SQL stuff on this machine, much of which is being migrated off onto another SQL server.

Outstanding Steps

• Incoming and Outgoing e-mail are still being dealt with on this machine and this will need to continue in the short term.
• The e-mail filter requires SQL on this machine so will need to remain too.

Previous Posts in this series:

• Moving along the virtualisation
• Decommissioning the Exchange 2000 Server
• Virtualising the Print Server
• Slamming down the Virtualisation Gauntlet

Related

• Slamming down the Virtualisation Gauntlet
• Virtualising the Print Server
• Decommissioning the Exchange 2000 Server
• Moving along the virtualisation
• Restart Issues With Virtual Server 2005