Microsoft KB Archive/324215

= HOW TO: Prepare for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration =

Article ID: 324215

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
 * Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
 * Microsoft Internet Information Services 5.0
 * Microsoft Small Business Server 2000 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q324215



IN THIS TASK
SUMMARY
 * Determine Hardware Requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
 * Determine Site Requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
 * Plan for a Large Site UNIX-to-Windows Migration
 * Back Up Existing Sites and Configurations Before a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
 * Understand Compatibility for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration

REFERENCES



SUMMARY
This article describes the basic preparations that are required to migrate existing Web sites that are hosted on the UNIX platform to Windows and Internet Information Services (IIS). This step-by-step article is one of a series of articles that provide detailed information about how to complete a UNIX-to-Windows Migration.

The articles in this series include the following:

324215 How to prepare for a UNIX-to-Windows migration

323970 How to prepare the target server for a UNIX-to-Windows migration

324213 How to migrate apache settings and configure IIS in a UNIX-to-Windows migration

324538 How to migrate Web site data in a UNIX-to-Windows migration

324216 How to secure IIS in a UNIX-to-Windows migration

324539 HOW TO: Perform Maintenance and Ancillary Tasks after a UNIX-to-Windows Migration

324217 How to test and performance tune after a UNIX-to-Windows migration

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Determine Hardware Requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
Before you consider the software and content issues of a migration from UNIX to Windows, you must first consider the hardware and physical environment that you will be using to support your Web site or sites. There are a variety of hardware platforms that support UNIX, and because of differences in the way UNIX/Apache and Windows/IIS work, you must make careful decisions about the exact configuration of your new server. For more information about how to make these decisions and translate UNIX requirements to Windows requirements, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323946 How to determine hardware requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows migration

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Determine Site Requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
Although Apache and IIS work in very different ways, they provide the same basic facilities. Apache uses different terms and different methods to accomplish some of these goals, and it is important to understand the differences between Apache features and the corresponding features in IIS. You must also consider the needs of your Web sites. Programming languages such as Perl, Python, PHP and Java are common under UNIX, and you must determine if these languages must be installed on your Windows computer.

Finally, think about your site's security requirements. Although centrally-controlled security is used on many sites, some sites may require folder-level and even user-configured security and authentication parameters. For more information about how to determine your existing needs and how to translate these needs into IIS settings and terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323948 How to determine site requirements for a UNIX-to-Windows migration

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Plan for a Large Site UNIX-to-Windows Migration
Large Web sites that provide information and support across a number of different departments or to a large number of users require a different approach to the migration process. Load-balancing techniques, file sharing and redirection systems will all work differently, and probably with a variety of software under UNIX. With Windows/IIS, you can handle these features in a coherent way, sharing configurations and exchanging messages between hosts. For more information about how to migrate large-site installations under UNIX to Windows, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323950 How to plan for a large site UNIX-to-Windows migration

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Back Up Existing Sites and Configurations before a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
Even if you are migrating your Web sites between UNIX and Windows by using two different computers, it is still possible to upset or delete vital information on either host, or to accidentally implement a change during the installation, that is difficult or impossible to back out of. Having a good backup of both computers before you start ensures that you can resolve these problems. Creating the backups also helps you to identify any additional files, settings or other requirements that you must migrate to the new Web server. For more information about how to back up Web site data, documents and configuration information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323944 How to back up existing sites and configurations before a UNIX-to-Windows migration

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Understand Compatibility for a UNIX-to-Windows Migration
UNIX and Windows differ fundamentally in a number of different ways. Even seemingly irrelevant details such as the line termination that is used in text and script documents can cause problems when migrated. Other points to be aware of are the differences in file formats, the availability of different libraries (including POSIX compatibility) and other components, including database environments. These differences may limit, or in some cases even prevent, a simple migration from occurring. For more information about the level of compatibility and the differences between the platforms, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

323952 How to understand compatibility for a UNIX-to-Windows migration

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