How to move a DHCP database from a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008

Source: Microsoft Support

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This article describes how to move a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) database from a computer that is running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 to Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

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You may be unable to see the Leases in the Address Leases option on the DHCP Server and the content in Reservations may be unavailable after you restore the DHCP configuration GUI from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.

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If you migrate or export the database through DHCP MMC, the migration fails.

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This issue is caused when you use the DHCP GUI to migrate the DHCP database from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.

Export the DHCP database from Windows 2003:

1.������������������ On the Windows 2003 DHCP server, navigate to a command prompt

2.������������������ Type the following Command: netsh

3.������������������ Type the following Command: DHCP

4.������������������ Type the following Command: server <\\Name or IP Address>

5.������������������ Type the following Command: export c:\w2k3DHCPdb all

Note You must have local administrator permissions to export the data.

Import the DHCP database

1.������ Copy the exported DHCP database file to the local hard disk of the Windows Server 2008-based computer.

2.������ Install the DHCP Role on the server.

3.������ Stop the DHCP server service on the server.� To do this, follow these steps:

a.������ Log on to the target DHCP server by using an account that is a member of the local Administrators group.

b.����� Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.

c.������ At the command prompt, type net stop DHCPserver , and then press ENTER. You receive a "The Microsoft DHCP Server service is stopping. The Microsoft DHCP Server service was stopped successfully" message.

d.����� Type exit, and then press ENTER.

4.������ Delete the DHCP.mdb file under c:\windows\system32\DHCP folder.

5.������ Start the DHCP server service.

6.������ Right-click on the Command Prompt (cmd) and select run as administrator, to open the cmd prompt using elevated privileges.

Note You must have local administrator permissions to import the data.

7.������ Type the following Command: netsh

8.������ Type the following Command: DHCP

9.������ Type the following Command: server <\\Name or IP Address>

10.�� Type the following Command: import c:\w2k3DHCPdb

11.�� Restart DHCP and verify the database has moved over properly.

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While exporting the configuration on the Windows 2003 Server, using netsh, you may see an error message similar to one of the following:

��������� Access is denied

��������� An attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.

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In this case following steps can be followed to export the DHCP database.

1.������������������ On the Windows 2003 DHCP server which had the original database, at a cmd prompt type the following command: netsh DHCP server dump >c:\DHCPdump.txt

2.������������������ Copy the DHCPdump.txt to another Windows 2003 box

3.������������������ Open up the text file and edited the text file with a find and replace changing the IP address from the old to the new Windows 2008 server, and then save the file.

4.������������������ Stop the DHCP server service and delete the contents of the DHCP folder and subfolders.

5.������������������ Start the DHCP server.

6.������������������ Right-click on the Command Prompt (cmd) and select run as administrator, to open the cmd prompt using elevated privileges.

Note You must have local administrator permissions to import the data.

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7.������������������ At the command prompt type: netsh exec DHCPdump.txt

8.������������������ At the command prompt type: netsh DHCP server initiate reconcile

9.������������������ Open up the console and check that all of the options are intact and the Reservations are present.

10.�������������� At the command prompt type: netsh DHCP server export c:\DHCP.txt all

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In some scenarios you may receive the following error while importing the database on a 2008 server.

"The Requested operation requires Elevation."

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Make sure that the command prompt is opened with elevated privilege on windows server 2008.

To do so right click on the command prompt menu option and select run as administrator and then try and import the database.

For more information on moving a DHCP server from one operating system to another see the following knowledgebase article:

325473� How to move a DHCP database from a computer that is running Windows NT Server 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows Server 2003 to a computer that is running Windows Server 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;325473

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