DC controler 1

[WolfPlank]

i am new to networking, and where i work they have a dc controler(w2000) and a nt 4.0 as a backup to it. but now they are going to get a new server(w2000) to be the new backup dc, and they want to update the nt 4.0 to a windows2000 server and have it as a member server in a doman. what do i need to install to get this to work and how? and when you update the nt 4.0 to w2000 will i lose all the dater that is on the nt 4.0?

thanks for all the help

 

[SteveBurkett]

When they install the new Windows 2000 server, it won't be a BACKUP domain controller, it will be a domain controller, of equal status as the existing w2k domain controller.

Windows 2000 Active Directory setups do away with the idea of primary and backup domain controllers that NT4 used to use. All domain controllers then become on par with each other as they all have the Active Directory information replicated to each of them.

What I would think they should be aiming for in your case is to first bring online the new w2k domain controller and make sure that is running correctly.

When you are happy with that, you can upgrade the NT4 box to a w2k domain controller (pop in the CD and it should do it for you).

Once it's up and running as a w2k domain controller use DCPROMO.exe to 'Demote' it from Domain Controller to a Member Server. Since you are upgrading in place you shouldn't lose any info on it, just make sure the computer meets all the windows 2000 requirements and isn't going to fail the upgrade due to old hardware/incompatible applications installed on it etc before you start the upgrade process.

And finally switch over from running the Active Directory network in 'Mixed Mode' to 'Native' mode to say that you no longer have NT4 domain controllers in operation.

Sorted!

 

[WolfPlank]

Thanks for tour help

Since the new w2k domain controller want be a "backup" but of equal status, if the old one fault will the new one work so u can take out the old one and get it fix.?

 

[WolfPlank]

just need to know when i put the new dc controll in on a switch how will i get the data from the old dc? the old one has 2 harddisk(120Gb) and gets backup every night and the new dc will have 5 harddisk(100Mb) with they what to have a raid system, with 250 Gb tapestreamer for backup. what would be the best way to do this?

and they say that it is not necessary to duplicat the usedate on both dc servers because they
they can just use a backup harddisk. Is this a good idea or should u have it on both?

 

[SteveBurkett]

Yes, the new one should be capable of taking over should the other fail, but you should make sure you have all the relevant services such as DNS and DHCP set up on it. Also you would need to delegate the 'operation masters' over to the new box.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows200.../en/advanced/help/sag_ADtransferFSMOroles.htm

When you plug in the new w2k server and promote it to be a domain controller, the existing domain controllers will push all the active directory data across to it. Can take a few hours.

Of course, if you have other non-active directory data (users files etc) you'd copy them across or restore from backup tape.

Not sure what you mean by the last sentence though? If its a windows 2000 domain controller then it needs to have all the user info, and will automatically duplicate between the two to keep both up to date.

 

[WolfPlank]

thanks again Steve

So if i get this right, when i put the new dc in. it will get all the info that it needs from the old one. do u have to manual do anything or will it happen automatic?

 

[moller]

I got problem, there is only one DC in my network other other DC. IF the DC fails, (cannot boot up or broken) What should I do, I only have a backup of a set of System state data and ERD. I read many paper from Microsoft page it normally give example with another DC in the network.

The question is that Can I re-install the Win 2000K server and create a new set of AD, DNS use same site name as crashed server etc... then restore the System state from tape.