Hey everyone! I'm looking for some help with my Dell PowerEdge R720, which is currently running Windows Server 2012 R2. I can't buy new hardware right now, so I need to perform an in-place upgrade to Windows Server 2016. I'm using Veeam Backup and it's connected directly to FC storage. I have a couple of questions:
1. What rollback measures should I consider for physical servers?
2. Do I need to upgrade the firmware before moving to the new OS?
Any advice or recommendations would be super helpful. Thanks!
2 Answers
First off, definitely do a full Veeam image backup including both system and volumes, and make sure you can restore it! That's your fail-safe if the upgrade goes south.
About firmware, if everything's stable, it might be best to leave it alone unless Dell suggests updates specifically for 2016 compatibility. The goal is to avoid introducing new risks right before the OS update! Just remember: solid backup, test the restore, and keep it simple! Let me know if that helps!
Hey there! Just to clarify, what do you mean by 'host'? Are you running VMs, or is this a standalone server? In-place upgrades can work fine, but avoid doing this with Exchange or a Domain Controller, as it can get tricky. Remember, Windows Server 2016 hits EOL in January 2027, so you're on a tight timeline!
Yeah, I get that you're keeping old hardware running. It's tough out there with budgets sometimes!