Cleanest way to upgrade WS2012E to WS2012E R2

[sam]

DrivePool has been a great product for me for years.  I have it installed on a server running 2012E with the following hardware storage space:

1TB WD RED Hard drives x 3

245Gb OCZ Vector SSD (boot drive)

4TB Seagate external back-up

 

I am upgrading to WS2012E R2. All of the system files are on the OCZ drive.  What would be the easiest way to upgrade the system files and not affect the data files on the pool\ drive?  Could I just deactivate the DrivePool license, remove the disks manually, format and install the new NOS, manually reinstall the 3 WD hard drives, re-activate the DrivePool license?

 

It seems like that would just be too easy, especially with the differences between version I and R2 of server 2012 Essentials.

 

 

[Christopher (Drashna)]

... Yup, pretty much exactly that. :-)

 

At least for StableBit DrivePool. Once it's reinstalled and reactivated, it should recreate the pool, just as it was. You may need to reset permissions and reshare the folders, but everything else you have exactly correct.

 

As for Server 2012 to Server 2012R2... There is no upgrade path. It's a clean install. If you have clients joined to the domain, you'll need to leave the domain on each computer. That will delete the user accounts on those systems, so you may want to make sure they're synced, or you run the "Windows Easy Transfer Wizard" on the system to migrate the settings.

[sam]

Christopher,

Drive Pool worked as advertised but I cannot get my license to activate.  Will I be forced to but another license for bot drive pool and scanner?  Each time I typed it in it wouldn't take it.  It said it was the wrong number.

[Christopher (Drashna)]

Did it say that it was an invalid activation ID or did it say "License not found for this machine"? The later indicates that you need the license deactivated. Please contact us  at https://stablebit.com/Contact  if you haven't already.