System and method for automated migration from Windows to Linux

• US 7,805,721 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BeyondTrust Corp.
• Original Assignee: Likewise Software, Inc. (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Feinleib, David A., Moran, Brian K.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US10/867,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,297 Days
• Field of Search: 717/174
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

A system and method for automating the migration of configuration settings and data from computer systems running the Windows® operating system to computer systems running the Linux® operating system. The method utilizes data from one or more sources to create the configuration of the target system, and translates between settings related to the Windows® systems and Linux® systems involved. As a result, it simplifies the otherwise complex and time-consuming task of migrating from one server to another, specifically when migrating between two operating systems that provide similar functionality but are configured in distinctly different ways.

Claims

1. A method for automatically migrating from a Windows®

server to a Linux®

target server, comprising;

automatically extracting Windows®

configuration information pertaining to Windows®

services hosted by a Windows®

server;

automatically generating Linux®

configuration information for a target server to support analogous Linux®

services that are analogous to the Windows®

services hosted by the Windows®

server; and

automatically installing appropriate Linux®

components and configuration files on the Linux®

target server to perform the analogous Linux®

services in view of the Linux®

configuration information that is generated,

wherein the automatic migration includes automatically migrating Windows®

Active Directory information on the Windows®

server to corresponding OpenLDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) configuration information on the Linux®

target server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analogous services include file share services, and the method further comprises:

extracting Windows®

file share information from Windows®

registry entries stored on the Windows®

server;

translating the Windows®

registry entries to corresponding Linux®

file share configuration information; and

storing the Linux®

file share configuration information in a Linux®

file share configuration file on the Linux®

target server.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically migrating data files stored on the Windows®

server to the Linux®

target server in a manner that preserves security information for the migrated data files.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

generating a backup of the data files that are migrated.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein migrating the data files comprises:

copying the data files from the Windows®

server to the Linux®

target server; and

deleting the data files on the Windows®

server.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

scanning the data files for viruses; and

not copying a data file to the Linux®

target server if the data file is detected to have a virus.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a network name for the Windows®

server; and

renaming the target server with the network name of the Windows®

server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein migrating the Windows®

Active Directory information comprises;

extracting Windows®

Active Directory information from an Active Directory database;

replicating the Windows®

Active Directory information in an OpenLDAP (Open Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) repository hosted by the Linux®

target server.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a user to selectively undo all or a portion of a migration process.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a network to identify Windows® and

potential Linux®

target servers connected to the network; and

enabling a user to select a Windows®

server comprising a migration source and a target server comprising a migration target, wherein configuration information is migrated from the migration source to the migration target.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the Linux®

configuration information in a repository; and

retrieving the Linux®

configuration information from the repository; and

installing appropriate Linux®

components and configuration files on multiple Linux®

target servers to perform the analogous Linux®

services in view of the Linux®

configuration information that is retrieved.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein installation of the appropriate Linux®

components and configuration files on the Linux®

target server includes automatically installing a Linux®

operating system on the Linux®

target server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the Linux®

target server comprises a Linux®

server running an instance of the Linux®

operating system prior to initiation of the migration process.

14. A tangible computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a set of instructions, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform operations to facilitate migration from a Windows®

server to a Linux®

server, the operations including;

extracting Windows®

configuration information pertaining to Windows®

services hosted by a Windows®

server;

migrating Windows®

Active Directory information on the Windows®

server to corresponding OpenLDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) configuration information on the Linux®

target server;

generating Linux®

configuration information for a target server to support Linux®

services analogous to the Windows®

services hosted by the Windows®

server, the Linux®

configuration information including Linux®

configuration files; and

installing, in view of the Linux®

configuration information that is generated, the configuration files and appropriate Linux®

components on the target server to enable the target server to perform the Linux®

services that are analogous to the Windows®

services.

15. The tangible computer readable storage medium of claim 14,

wherein

the Linux®

services that are analogous to the Windows®

services include file share services, and execution of the instructions performs further operations including;

extracting Windows®

file share information from Windows®

registry entries stored on the Windows®

server;

translating the Windows®

registry entries to corresponding

Linux®

file share configuration information; and

storing the Linux®

file share configuration information in a

Linux®

file share configuration file on the target server.