Installing Exchange 2000 with additional complexities!!!

[opssup]

Here is my inherited problem!!
We have a mixed mode domain with the last NT 4 BDC being the Exchange 5.5 server complete with an underscore in it's host name. (Examp_le)!!

We have a single domain model with no forests. We need to upgrade the exchange server to 2000 (Server and Exchange) and remove it from being a domain controller as well as change it's name.

We have another test server available but are wondering which is the best way forward.

Upgrade the exisiting box to 2000 Server? This will then mean we can remove the domain controller role. But will it work with the underscore in it's name?

Build the test machine as a 2000 Server and Exchange box and migrate? But can we do this in mixed mode?

Any ideas warmly received, could anything else be more wrong!??

 

[compurx]

To answer your questions, if you upgrade the existing server it will not be able to use the underscore in it's name. Also, as far as setting up a new server and migrating the migration tools will not be able to extract information from a server with an underscore in it's name. Sorry for the bad news, and hope you have success