File Migration Utility (FMU)

This is the second tool that Services for NetWare 5.0 provides that you can use only on Windows 2000 Server. FMU is used to migrate files and directories from NetWare volumes to Windows 2000 disks, while keeping intact security permissions. You can use this tool with both the IPX/SPX and TCP/IP protocols.

When you migrate files from NDS to Windows 2000, the MSDSS utility discussed in the preceding sections can be used to create a file that FMU uses to maintain user and group relationships and rights associated with files and directories. Before using FMU, be sure to read these sections! MSDSS maps organizational units (OUs) and organizations from NDS to the Active Directory by creating local security groups for every NDS OU and organization.

FMU is installed when you install MSDSS. To start the actual file migration process, click Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, and then File Migration Utility. The File Migration Utility Wizard, pops up and performs some preliminary functions. When it has finished, the Next button becomes available. Click Next and you'll see a large property sheet that has tabs, each of which can be used to perform a step in the migration process.

In the Step 1 tab, you must enter the full path for the migration log that you created using MSDSS. You can use the Browse button to locate the file if you don't recall where it was created. After you locate the file, click the Load Data button to read in the file. Note that at the bottom of the screen you'll see a display called Steps Completed, with boxes numbered 1 through 5. If you do not have time to complete the entire migration process in one session, or if you have to stop and rethink the process, you can look here to see what you've done so far. You can use the Allow Step Completion inAny Order check box if you want to perform steps out of order. Each time you click the Next button you move to another step. Using this check box, you can bring up any of the steps. The View Maps and Access Rights buttons enable you to view how access rights are mapped between Windows 2000 and NetWare access rights. This might be necessary, for example, if you have a file that has the NDS Modify right associated with it. By default, this maps to the Windows Read right. You can change this to the Write right if you want to by using the Access Rights button. Click the Next button to continue.

The Step 2 tab shows you the Active Directory account that you used to log in to the Windows 2000 server. Use the NetWare Connections button to show any current connections you have made to NetWare resources. If you have yet to log on to NDS or a bindery server, use the Log On to Novell button to do so at this time. Enter the required NDS or bindery account name and password, and click Next.

Step 3 enables you to select the source and target of the migration task. Use this step to select the NDS or bindery volume or directories that you want to migrate to the Windows 2000 server. Under Target, select the Windows 2000 file shares or directories that will be used as the location for the files to be migrated. When you've finished making selections, click on Map and then, of course, click the Next button.

In Step 2 you review your Windows logon and can log on to the Novell network if you have not yet done so.

Step 4 enables you to create a log file and select options for generating the log file that will be created during the migration process.

If the migration will involve a lot of files, you can help reduce the size of the log file by using the Enable Compression (NTFS only) check box. If you want to append a date and timestamp in the log- file to determine when a file was actually migrated, use the next check box. The Stop Migration If Disk Reaches Capacity check box does just what it says!

You also can set a maximum size for the log file in the Maximum File Size field, or leave it at the default of zero to allow the file to grow to any size. If you set a value for this field, the check box underneath it, Overwrite Log File When Maximum Size Is Reached, should be used so that the process will continue if the log file exceeds the size you set.

The radio buttons under New Log Entries enable you to elect to either append new entries or overwrite existing entries when you use the same log file to perform migrations at different times. The Log Detail Level drop-down menu enables you to select the amount of information that is logged for each file. When you've finished configuring the log file, click Next to proceed to the next step.

Step 5 is used to scan the volumes and directories you selected as sources from NDS or NetWare for the migration. Click the Scan button and the program counts the directories and the files within them, and checks that the correct access rights are associated with each volume (or directory/file).

If any errors occur, you can choose to continue and simply use a manual method for copying the files or directories. However, if a large number of errors is encountered, the FMU utility will stop and you'll need to rethink your migration. Go back to the previous steps in the process to see whether you've entered any incorrect information or ignored access rights required to access the NDS or bindery data.

Another thing that can cause errors during the migration process is opened or locked files on the NetWare server. You might want to perform Steps 1 through 5 and save the actual migration (Step 6) until a time when you can obtain downtime for your NetWare servers to ensure that all files and directories that are to be migrated are accessible. For example, to perform the migration, you must be logged on to the Windows 2000 server with an account that is a member of the Domain Admins group.

Finally, when you are ready to perform the actual data transfer, step 6 enables you to start the process. On the step 6 tab, click the Migrate button. Depending on how much data is to be transferred from Netware to Windows 2000, the process can just take just a few minutes or many hours.

After you've migrated your files to Windows 2000 servers, you should perform testing to be sure that your clients can connect to the Windows 2000 servers and that the files and directories are set up as you planned. After everything checks out, consider the migration a success and decommission those NDS servers!