How to export and import JUST lease addresses and reservations?

2012-08-30

Question

_{Thursday, August 30, 2012 6:17 PM}

I'm in the project of migrating a DHCP server on a Windows Server 2008 (not R2) to another DHCP server on Windows Server 2008 R2.

In my test, I'm following this article to do the migration http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd379483%28v=ws.10%29.aspx using the Export-SmigServerSetting and Import-SmigServerSetting cmdlets. Please note that I'm not yet using the source server's IP address on the destination server, so I omit the "-IPConfig" parameters in export and import.

However, the import result shows messages like this:
VERBOSE: ID: Local Group.
VERBOSE: Title: Incoming Forest Trust Builders
VERBOSE: Result: Succeeded
VERBOSE: Warning 1379: Group Incoming Forest Trust Builders was not imported
because the group already exists on the local computer.

I don't understand -- I'm migrating DHCP server, not DC, what has it to do with (domain) users and groups?

So, I think I'd better do the whole migration manually. I could set the config on the destination server EXACTLY like the source server. What I need is the way to export address leases and reservations. How to export and import these two databases? Just these two things, no config is needed.

My DHCP server only has one scope.

Thanks in advance

All replies (5)

_{Monday, September 3, 2012 11:13 AM ✅Answered}

I was already using domain admin account, and using elevated DOS (privileged mode) but that didn't help. As I've read it, I needed to restart DC in restore mode, which is quite risky.

As I have formulated, I didn't want to have DHCP config (I know how to reconfigure it manually). But I suppose there is no answer to this question. So I close this discussion.

_{Thursday, August 30, 2012 6:38 PM}

For the reservation database export-import procedure, I've just found a neat one at

http://consultantsrus.blogspot.fr/2010/10/quickly-export-and-import-dhcp.html

Now I need something similar for address leases.

_{Friday, August 31, 2012 7:43 AM | 1 vote}

Hi,

Thanks for your post,

You can run the command line on the source machine:

Netsh dhcp server export C:\DHCP.dat all

Please note: While the export command runs, the DHCP service is stopped and does not respond to clients seeking new leases or lease renewals before it complete.

Then, copy the file to the new DHCP server, run below command to import the database.

Netsh dhcp server import C:\DHCP.dat all

For more detailed information, you may refer to the following article. Hope it helps.

Migration of DHCP Server from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008

http://blogs.technet.com/b/teamdhcp/archive/2009/02/18/migration-of-dhcp-server-from-windows-server-2003-to-windows-server-2008.aspx

How to move a DHCP database from a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962355

Best Regards,

Aiden

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Aiden Cao

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_{Friday, August 31, 2012 9:13 AM}

Hi Aiden,

I had actually found the method of using "netsh dhcp server export....", but when I ran "netsh dhcp server import...." I got the "access denied" message. Some articles said that because the account I'm using does not belong to "local administrators group" or something like that. But the server to which I'm importing the database is also a DC, so there is no "local" groups or users. And some articles suggested me to restart the DC in restore mode. Is that the only way to import it? There are other DC's in the domain, what (bad) effect would have if I restart the DC in restore mode?

In case you ask, I'm testing how to migrate a Windows Server 2008 which has DC, DNS and DHCP server roles to another Windows Server 2008 R2. I'm told to do thing in this order:

1. Install DC & DNS
2. Install and migrate DHCP
3. Migrate DC & DNS

So I'm stuck at step 2.

PS: By the way, the "netsh dhcp" method also transfers DHCP configuration. That is not I wanted.

_{Monday, September 3, 2012 3:04 AM | 1 vote}

Hi,

If the target server is a DC, then you need to use the administrator account in your domain or domain admin. When use domain admin, you need to open the cmd with privilege mode. Right click, choose run as administrator. In order to migrate DHCP server to other server and retire the original one, we need to migrate the DCHP configuration to the target server. and the export/import way is the most commonly used method to achieve this.