# Moving from Windows 2008 SBS to FreeBSD and Samba 3



## minimike (Dec 12, 2013)

Hello there,

I have to switch all shares from a Windows 2008 SBS server to a FreeBSD server with Samba 3 already supported on ACL. The directories and files are located in a highly complex rights structure. The management of my company wants to prevent it, even with admin rights on the 2008 SBS box I don't have access to all data. How do I get the best option to migrate the data from Windows to Samba by maintaining the rights, owners and special access permissions? Without hacking the permissions on the 2008 SBS box?

Cheers, Darko.


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## ShelLuser (Dec 12, 2013)

I don't see any other option but to gain access to all data. Think about it: even if you did manage to migrate the whole hierarchy, how are you going to copy the data across? Rely on the end users? But if you rely on the end users to do the work of the administrator, when what exactly is the added value of keeping special permissions and locking the administrator out of this data storage in the first place?

And that's not even mentioning the obvious issue of trying to replicate settings which you can't seem to completely access in the first place.

So basically the whole scenario doesn't quite add up to me.


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## dave (Dec 13, 2013)

Robocopy is a super tool for this type of work, but as @ShelLuser says, it's not going to work unless you have access to everything you need to migrate.  Part of being a systems administrator is telling management how it's going to be.


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