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Windows File Server

Learn how to connect to a Microsoft Windows File Server with Movebot

Introduction

Movebot supports Microsoft Windows using a lightweight agent that is installed directly on the file server, another server, or on a virtual machine.

The agent uses a shared token for authentication and communicates with Movebot's infrastructure via secure HTTPS calls. The Windows agent does not require any port forwarding or static IP addressing for migrations and is very simple to set up and run.

We do not recommend installing the agent directly on the target file server. If possible, use a VM and connect via mapped network drives.

The agent can be run in a standalone fashion or as a service. For security reasons, we recommend not running the agent as a service during migrations.

Requirements

To connect Movebot to Microsoft Windows, you need:

For a full list of requirements, see Server Requirements

Configuration Steps

  1. Login to Movebot and create a new project or task

  2. When configuring the source or destination, choose to Create new Connection

  3. Select Microsoft Windows/Apple OSX from the list of available connections and set the connection name

  4. Movebot will provide an Agent Connection token. Copy this token and download the agent. This token is only viewable once so be sure to copy it when viewing it.

  5. Login to the remote Windows file server as an administrator

  6. Install the agent and launch it

  7. Paste the identifier token provided in Movebot and click Connect. After a few seconds, the status indicator should change to show it's connected.

  8. Return to the Movebot interface, and Click Save and Test

  9. If the connection has succeeded, you can continue

Supported Features

Movebot has comprehensive support for Microsoft Windows and is well-maintained.

Feature
Supported in Movebot

Folders

Fully Supported

Network Drives

Fully Supported

Permissions

Source Only

Versions

Not Supported

Modification Retention

Fully Supported

Automatic Sanitization

Fully Supported

Common Errors

Movebot supports bi-directional and tenant to tenant migrations with Windows Fileserver's. Below are common errors and questions related to scanning and migrating Windows Fileserver data.

Error: ECONNRESET

Cause: Your outbound firewall is filtering the internet connection

Resolution: Configure your firewall to allow all outbound traffic on port 443 and 53 from the virtual machine or server running the Movebot agent.

Error: Agent Disconnected

Cause: The movebot agent is not longer connected to Movebot

Resolution: Check that the virtual machine running the agent is still online and the agent is running. Restart the agent and/or virtual machine if required.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Movebot support network drives

Answer: Yes. Movebot supports migrating to and from network drives.

To migrate data from network drives make sure they are mounted/connected to the virtual machine or physical server you have installed the Movebot agent on.

Does Movebot support proxy servers

Answer: Yes. Movebot supports migrating data on networks with a proxy server managing network connectivity.

To configure connectivity through a proxy server - Proxy Configuration

Does Movebot have Static IPs to whitelist

Answer: No. Movebot utilises dynamic IP addresses during a migration. We cannot provide you with static ip addresses or domain names to whitelist.

What ports does Movebot use for migrations

Answer: 443 and 53.

Movebot connects to the Movebot cloud via HTTPs.

Can I run Movebot on a desktop or laptop workstation

Answer: Not recommended

We do not recommend running the Movebot agent on a laptop or desktop. While possible, doing so can result in unpredictable performance and interruptions.

How much memory and cpu resources does the agent require

Answer: 16GB of ram and 4vCPUs minimum

We do not recommend running a migration on servers with less than above.

Tags: agent

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