migration from NT to 2k3 server

[donkarnash_1]

Hi I have a file server running NT. Now I have a new ML570 G3 server with Windows 2003 server. The file server has many shared directories that are accessed by people all over. I plan to do the cut-over on a weekend. I have been told by someone that the files on both the D: & E: drives are compressed with all it's data . As a result of this the data copy is being copied over to the new server will first decompressed then copy over.
Is that true. I think it is bull shit. Can someone advise.

And I plan to use ROBOCOPY to copy all the data across. Is there any better idea that will also copy the open files and permissions.

[Joshua Small_2]

The public has no way of knowing whether the files on your NT server are compressed or not.
I don't know how you expect us to tell you if this is the case.

I believe NTFS shipped with NT3.51 or higher supported this option. A brief discussion of this is here:

http://www.chami.com/tips/windows/012297W.html

If the files are currently compressed, they would of course be decompressed when moved across the network. You do have every option to move them into a compressed file system on your new server aswell.

[Igor Karasik]

>>As a result of this the data copy is being copied over to the new server will first decompressed then copy over

I think formally it is true, but it is doesn't matter. You will not feel any time differencies in copy operation.

Robocopy or xcopy will good, but I usually use backup to tape/restore from tape in such cases - typically it's take less time with tape backup and you avoid any unexpected read/write errors in the middle of copy operation.

You can check Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit as well (I don't have any experience with this tool)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/upgrading/nt4/tooldocs/msfsc.mspx

[Pieter 't Hart]

Even within the same server if copied onto another partition files are decompressed and then again compressed.

So if copied onto the network it is definitively first decompressed before copying.

see : http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307987
this is for XP, but ther'se no different behaviour in other NT(fs)-based OS'es

Pieter

[Nat Lakes]

You should try Secure Copy. This tool can operate with compressed files as RoboCopy but copying speed and perfomance - much more better.

[Nat Lakes]

http://www.scriptlogic.com/securecopy