domain controller update -- what to expcet? 1

[bloomlight]

We have 6 HP server systems running Windows 2003 server. Most of them have Window 2003 server SP2 installed. Only One server (the primary domain controller) is still running SP1. I am planning to update that server to SP2 so that all of our server systems would have OS & SP on the same level.

Since this is the main domain controller, I would like to gather all the information about the update procedure before taking the system down. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Here are the things that I would like to know:

* how long the does update take?
* can user be on the network when I do the upgrading?
* or I have to have all users be off the system? we do have a Backup Domain Controller in the network.
* does update to SP require a reboot? if yes, do I have to reboot other servers afterwards?
* currently, we have Windows 2003 server standard edition on that server, do I need to upgrade it to R2 before installing SP2? Or it does not matter?
* any problems after the upgrading?
* will the active directory stay the same way?

 

[ShackDaddy]

It will take between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the speed of the server.

A user can be on the network. It would not cause a problem for the upgrade, but of course if they are accessing resources when the server needs to restart, that would affect their experience.

Yes, it requires a restart, but no, you should not have to restart any other servers.

You do not need to upgrade it to R2. R2 has its own service packs and should be considered separately.

The Active Directory will stay the same.

The only thing I would be aware of is that Win 2003 SP2 introduced some networking "enhancements" that, while they normally are good to have, also result in network unreliability. If you find that you have issues during the week after you run SP2, then you could refer to this article on how to disable TCP Chimney and RSS Scaling:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/951037

In general summary: no worries, mate!

Dave Shackelford
ThirdTier.net
TrainSignal.com

 

[bloomlight]

Thanks ShackDaddy. I did the update from SP1 to SP2 last week. It worked. Just wanted to say thank you for your advice and encouragement. I truly appreciate your time and help.