ErniesAnswers.com

This step-by-step article describes how to move a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) database from a computer that is running Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 or Microsoft Windows 2000, a computer that is running Windows Server 2003.

Note You can use the Microsoft Windows backup utility (ntbackup.exe) to back up and restore the DHCP database on a single server. Do not use the backup utility to migrate or to move a DHCP database from one DHCP server to another.

Export the DHCP database from a server that is running Windows NT Server 4.0 or Windows 2000

1. Stop the DHCP Server service on the server:
a. Log on to the source DHCP server by using an account that is a member of the local Administrators group.
b. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
c. At the command prompt, type net stop dhcpserver, and then press ENTER. You receive a "The Microsoft DHCP Server service is stopping. The Microsoft DHCP Server service was stopped successfully" message.
d. Type exit, and then press ENTER.

2.Compact the DHCP database by using the JetPack utility:
a. Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the Open box, and then click OK.
b. At the command prompt, type cd %systemroot%\system32\dhcp, and then press ENTER.
c. Type jetpack dhcp.mdb temp.mdb, and then press ENTER.
d. After the database is compacted successfully, type exit, and then press ENTER.

3. Export the DHCP database by using the DHCP Export Import utility (Dhcpexim.exe). You can obtain this utility from the Windows 2000 Resource Kit Supplement 1. You can also visit the following Microsoft Web site to obtain Dhcpexim.exe:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927229

To export the database:
a. Install the Dhcpexim.exe utility, and then start the Dhcpexim.exe utility.
b. At the Welcome to DHCP Export Import tool screen, click Export configuration of the local service to a file, and then click Ok.
c. In the File name box, type the file name for the exported file, and then click Save. For example, type dhcpdatabase.txt.
d. Click the scope or scopes that you want to export, click to select the Disable the selected scopes on local machine before export check box, and then click Export.
e. Click OK.

4. Disable the DHCP Server service on the server. Disabling the DHCP Server service prevents the service from starting after the database has been transferred. To disable the DHCP Server service:
a. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Services.
b. In the Service list, click Microsoft DHCP Server, click Startup, click Disabled, and then click OK.
c. If the service is started, click Stop, and then click Yes to confirm the stopping of the service.
d. Click Close to close the Services dialog box.

Important Dhcpexim.exe is required to move the database successfully from a server that is running Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 to a server that is running Windows Server 2003. Netsh commands for DHCP are not available in Windows NT 4.0.

Note If only the configuration (not the database) is required, use the following command (instead of Dhcpexim.exe) on the Windows 2000-based server that you want to export from. (Do not use Dhcpexim.exe.)
netsh dhcp dump >C:\dhcp.txt

where C:\dhcp.txt is the name and path of the export file that you want to use.

Note The export option does not exist in the netsh command on Windows 2000 Server. The netsh dhcp server dump and netsh dhcp server import commands are not compatible. If you try to import the data that is created by netsh dhcp server dump > C:\dhcp.txt by using netsh DHCP server import > C:\dhcp.txt, you receive the following error message on the Windows Server 2003-based computer:

The request is not supported.

You can migrate the exported configuration file to the new Windows Server 2003 server by using the following command:
netsh exec c:\dhcp.txt
Dhcpexim.exe is not supported in Windows Server 2003. If a database is exported on a Windows 2000-based computer by using Dhcpexim.exe, and you try to import the data to Windows Server 2003, Dhcpexim.exe quits, and you receive the following error message:

An error occurred. An attempt was made to load a program with a incorrect format.

If this behavior occurs, export data from Windows 2000 by using dhcpexim and then import the data on the Windows Server 2003 environment by using netsh DHCP server import xyz.txt.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325473