[Samba] Migration strategy

[Rowland Penny]

On Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:19:18 +0100
Anders Östling via samba <samba at lists.samba.org> wrote:

> I am in the process of setting up a new AD based on only Samba
> servers. The current domain has a number of Samba file servers and 2
> windows dc's that are going to be retired.

Do you have to create a new domain ?
Would it be possible to join a Samba DC and then transfer the FSMO
roles to that and then demote the Windows DCs ?

> 
> The accounts and groups in the new AD will have the same names (but
> new SID's) and be created directly in the new domain. What I need to
> figure out is how I can migrate data on the file servers to the new
> servers without bringing with me the old ACL's. All directories and
> files are owned by specific groups in the current domain.  Therefore I
> need to find a way to copy (rsync,robocopy, tar, ...) the directory
> trees to the new servers.
> 
> What would be the correct way to do this? I.e end up with a directory
> tree where the files have "NEW-AD\Owner-group" instead of
> "S-RANDOM-SID" as owner.
> 
> /Anders
> 

I do not know of any 'magical' way of doing this, you will have to
script around moving the data and then renaming the user & group
ownership.

Rowland