Migrate User's Roaming profile network share from one server or drive to another server or drive
Updated: Apr 25, 2021
Assume we already have a network share in the production environment and that network share hosts a citrix roaming profile and user's redirected folder.
Now there is a use case that we need to migrate the shared folders from one share path to another share path due to any number of reasons whether it is server replacement, or Drive is full and cannot be expanded further or it is on legacy server.
Solution :
1 ) In this scenario - lets say you have already a group policy which is providing the settings for user's folders redirection and citrix roaming profile path (For example : \\romaingprofile.eliteexpertopinion.com\redirectedfolders or \\romaingprofile.eliteexpertopinion.com\Profiles).
2) Without modifying the above path , lets assume that you have taken the full backup of user data and profiles from Server01 via third party backup software when minimal or zero utilization. Windows inbuilt backup and restore utility is not useful for large production environment as it will take much more time in taking full backup comparing to third party vendor software.
3) Restore the full backup taken to the new server Server02 at the time when minimal or zero utilization and it should be started immediately after taking full backup. Remember backup and restore should be done same day in order to minimize or prevent users data loss.
4) Once the full backup is restored on Server02, take a note of the existing NTFS and share permission of old share path from Server01 and then remove(turn off ) the existing share path.
5)Now on the Server02, create a new share using the folder on which data was restored ,with the same share name as mentioned in group policy and apply the same NTFS and share permissions on the folder which was set from Server01.
Thanks.