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We currently have webapps located on a windows 2008 server hosted with a cloud hosting company.

I require to know how we can migrate/transfer the contents of the windows (current) server on to a new local server that is to be deployed at our company's premises.

I am not able to install the webapps by any other means since we do not have installation discs - all we have is the server running in the cloud and backups made by the cloud hosting company of that server. We are also not fully aware of the details of the installations/webapps.

The webapps have many dependencies including Java 6, Apache Tomcat 5.5, MySQL 5.5, Ruby 1.8.6, RubyGems 0.9.2 and many java open source libraries.

I do not know how to perform the migration and the main issues I have are as follows:

1) How should the contents of the current server be transferred to the local server? e.g. what media should be used - an external hard drive for example.

2) As part of deployment of local server, would we need to install windows OS from scratch or could we copy/transfer/restore from the current server?

3) Would we need to install some/all of the other dependencies separately from scratch or could they can be copied/transferred/restored from the current server. Does this depend on each dependency?

4) As part of a restore, what does and doesn't not get restored. e.g. would any/all of the following get restored?

registry entries environment variables scheduled jobs file/folder permissions

5) any other advice on how to perform the migration?

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    You almost certainly can't do this as the Cloud Provider likely has SPLA licensing from Microsoft which does not allow you to simply move the server to your own hardware. Rhetorically almost any imaging/cloning software can move the server: anything form Microsoft's `imagex` (used in creating the installed images in the first place) to Clonezilla. – Chris S Oct 03 '13 at 15:21

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From Windows 2000 and onward it's become more easy to 'transplant' a system drive; new hardware will automatically be detected and installed.

I think this is the only viable way, as you claim to have near zero information on how the applications and their dependencies are installed and connected. You will not be able to recreate the environment unless you create extensive documentation on those subjects, which should have been done upon installation anyway.

any other advice on how to perform the migration?

I suspect it isn't possible, but are you able to contact the original developers of the software or maintainers of the server to retrieve some documentation?

CodeCaster
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  • Thank you the reply. Is another viable option to look at third party software for doing backups and restores - e.g. ARCserve. Or would it be possible to use 'Windows Server Backup' feature to produce a backed-up system image and then restore the image locally. –  Oct 03 '13 at 15:15