Tips for an easy upgrade from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2

 Moving from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2012 R2 is fairly straightforward. Here are some tips to make sure the process goes smoothly.

 If you're like me, you can choose to be the ' latest and greatest in some situations. What really bothers me are those occasional situations when you want to implement something new, but they have to wait a couple of weeks or more for full support . With later versions of Windows Server, you may have noticed that there is an update feature that comes with the operating system of the server. Recently I found the update in a production application (I did a full backup before pictures!) And I found the process of upgrading Windows Server 2012 R2 quite easy.

One of the nice things about Windows Server is that you can now mount the file natively. ISO operating system. This particular system is a virtual machine , and was good mechanisms to mount file . ISO for a while ' . But now it's just a right-click inside the guest operating system. The upgrade process starts from the installation on . ISO and run the setup.exe file , then you will want to make sure that the drive letter does not change. Mount the image as a drive or physical optics virtualization platform additional steps are good.  There are some options to consider.

One is to check for updates to the installer . Since 2012 R2 Windows Server code was completed in August 2013, with the release on the market ( RTM) edition , surely there are some minor adjustments that may need to be corrected . So I think that the update check is a good idea. The first option is to get the configuration to see if these updates , so if you should do an upgrade or a new installation. If you are going to do a fresh install , you should use a new system image unless you have a data volume will deliver directly outside the newly installed system . Figure A shows the ability to upgrade an existing Windows Server.

Figure A 

We recommend you upgrade directly connected to the console, either KVM or console of the virtual machine. The system will reboot several times, and will help ensure that the process goes as planned. The boot menu gives you the option to restore after the update. Hopefully, it will not be necessary, but if something does not go as planned. Once the update process begins, a progress bar and a couple of restarts appears, as shown in Figure B.

Figure B

 There are a lot of scenarios to consider. Be sure to check your email TechNet 303,416 . This KB article describes several considerations for the update, including what is and is not an upgrade path . For example , you can not change during the upgrade editions , Standard and Datacenter . Also, you can not come from a previous operating system was x86 only supports the current offer , which is only 64 bits. Above all , you must use the same type of product in terms of licensing configuration for the update. For example, if you downloaded a test Windows Server 2012 (evaluation of 180 days), you can not use the business license. ISO and the keys to update correctly. It may work, but trust me : It's not fair .

When the upgrade process , make sure that the new update of Windows Server 2012 R2 Server to make sure everything works as expected. For starters , look to see if the network configuration is changed. I got a new interface and DNS information they take? Content GPO and domain membership are implemented successfully? A thorough inspection before calling the update on a success would be a wise thing to do!