Install Windows Server 2012 R2 - MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2: Installation and Configuration Study Guide - page 9

Windows Server 2012 R2 includes a set of migration tools that administrators can
use to help ease the process of migrating server roles, features, operating system settings,
and data. Administrators can migrate this data from an existing server that is running
Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server
2008 R2, or Windows Server 2012 R2 to a computer that is running Windows
Server 2012 R2.
Using Windows Server Migration Tools to migrate roles, role services, and features
can simplify the deployment of new servers. You can migrate roles and features on servers
running the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2012 R2 and virtual
servers. By using Windows Server Migration Tools, an administrator can reduce migration
downtime, increase the accuracy of the migration process, and help eliminate conflicts that
could otherwise occur during the migration process.
One advantage of using the migration tools is that most of them support cross-
architecture migrations (x86-based to x64-based computing platforms), migrations
between physical and virtual environments, and migrations between both the full and
Server Core installation options of the Windows Server operating system. In Windows
Server 2012 R2, Windows Server Migration Tools also supports cross-subnet migrations.
To use Windows Server Migration Tools, the feature must be installed on both the
source and destination computers. Windows Server Migration Tools installation and
preparation can be divided into the following stages:
1. Installing Windows Server Migration Tools on destination servers that run Windows
Server 2012 R2
2. Creating deployment folders on destination servers that run Windows Server 2012 R2
for copying to source servers
3. Copying deployment folders from destination servers to source servers
4. Registering Windows Server Migration Tools on source servers
If you plan to use Windows Server Migration Tools, you must be a member of the
Administrators group on both the source and destination servers to install, remove, or set
up the tools.
Administrators can install Windows Server Migration Tools by using either the Add
Roles Or Features Wizard in Server Manager or Windows PowerShell deployment cmdlets
for Server Manager.
To install Windows Server Migration Tools on a Server Core installation of Windows
Server 2012 R2, you would complete the following steps:
1.

Open a Windows PowerShell session by typing powershell.exe in the current com-
mand prompt session and then pressing Enter.

2.

In the Windows PowerShell session, install Windows Server Migration Tools by using
the Windows PowerShell Install-WindowsFeature cmdlet for Server Manager. In the
Windows PowerShell session, type the following, and then press Enter. (Omit the
ComputerName parameter if you are installing the Windows Server Migration Tools on
the local server.)
Install-WindowsFeature Migration -ComputerName computer_name