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Server Upgrade Strategy

🖥️ Server Upgrade

Server Upgrade Strategy

Learn how we upgraded DC, File Server, Database Server, and App Server for a Texas healthcare client running end-of-life OS on malware-infected hardware — in just 2.5 weeks.

Industry

Healthcare

Services

Tech Consulting / Project

Location

Texas, US

Duration

2.5 weeks

Tech Stack

Windows Server 2019

⚠️

Business Problem

The healthcare client's DC servers were infected with malware and running an end-of-sale/end-of-life OS — creating both a security emergency and a compliance risk. File Server, Database Server, and App Server were all running on the same hardware, compounding risk. Urgent uplift to modern OS was required without losing patient records or application data.

✅

Our Solution

We provisioned new Windows Server 2019 hardware in parallel, cleaned and migrated all critical data, rebuilt each server role sequentially, and performed OS hardening before go-live. Malware-infected hardware was safely decommissioned after successful parallel-run validation.

Project Plan

Emergency Threat Containment

Isolated infected DCs from the network. Ran full malware scan and identified infection vector. Preserved all AD data and SYSVOL for safe migration to new hardware.

New Server Provisioning

Provisioned new Windows Server 2019 machines for each role: DC, File Server, Database, and App Server. Configured roles and features before any data transfer.

Data Migration & Validation

Migrated AD schema, file shares, SQL databases, and application configs to new servers. Row counts, share permissions, and application smoke tests validated at each step.

OS Hardening & Go-Live

Applied CIS Level 1 hardening benchmarks to all new servers. Ran antivirus, patched to latest CU, and performed final penetration test before going live.

Outcomes

Servers

DC, File, DB, App — all upgraded

Data loss across all server roles

2.5

wks

Emergency upgrade completed

"The situation was serious — active malware on two servers and all four running end-of-life OS. Inputiv came in, scoped it fast, and delivered a sequenced upgrade plan that kept services running throughout. CIS hardening on every box at the end. Client is now one of our most stable environments."

— CTO · MSP, Texas

Tech Stack

Windows Server 2019

SQL Server

CIS Hardening

Malware Remediation

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Project Details

Servers upgraded

4 (DC, File, DB, App)

Trigger

Malware + EOSL OS

Delivery model

Fixed-cost project

Running end-of-life servers?

Don't wait for an incident. We'll scope and execute a safe upgrade.

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