Installing Exchange 5.5 on a future W2K DC

[rvsharpe]

Hello,

Here is my situation,

We are currently running Exchange 5.5 SP4 on a Windows NT
4.0 single server single domain environment. Our plan is
to transfer or move the exchange server to a Windows 2000
server which is currently running without Active
Directory, install AD and then remove the NT box from the
network. Initially, we installed Exchange on the W2K box,
joined the existing org and site and moved the mailboxes
over to the exchange server running on the W2K box and
everything is running fine.

My question now involves installing AD. Would it have been
better to install NT 4.0 on the new server first, promote
it to a PDC and then install W2K afterwards so I can run
DCPROMO and retain my current account names passwords and
savings? Then install exchange 5.5 as before and move the
mailboxes and other migration tasks? The reason I'm asking
is bacause with my current method, it seems as if I will
have to run ADMT in order to migrate the current NT 4.0
domain structure and info to the new W2k box. In addition,
ADMT will not retain the accounts current passwords.

Sorry for the lengthy message, but I'm a little confused
on the best way to go about this. By the way I only have
75 mailboxes. Any feedback will be most appreciated.

Ray

 

[Chaupa]

If you have a 5.5 server on an nt 4.0 Domain. You could have upgraded the pdc to 2000. Install the new server you mentioned as an DC,GC and DNS. Intall the ADC on this new server to connect to 5.5, replicate the 5.5 directory to AD. Run the forestprep on the new server, install exchange 2000. Then you use Active Directory users and computer, right click the user, select the source and destination server, move the account, done. Not to mention public folders, custom rec and connectors.

 

[rvsharpe]

I'm going to install Exchange 5.5 on the W2K box instead of Exchange 2000. Can I still use the steps you suggested just substituting Exchange 5.5 for exchange 2000?

Thanks

 

[Chaupa]

You can install 5.5 on a 2000 box but this does not sync the 5.5 directory to AD. You can upgrade the 5.5 to 2000 but if you are using a new server I would have prefered a fresh install of Exchange 2000 on a Windows 2000 server. Seeing you now have 5.5 on a 2000 box you can upgrade your pdc to AD, prepare AD for Ex2000 and upgrade. Have you taken into considerations DNS. YOu should also install another DC. If for any reason you lost the one, puff.

 

[rvsharpe]

I probably wasn't clear regarding the status of exchange 5.5. There are no plans to upgrade Exchange 5.5 to exchange 2000. 5.5 will be used for the forseeable future or at least until the end of next year. Therefore, the Exchange 5.5 running on W2K will be the final configuration .There is no Exchange 2000 upgrade involved.

Ray

 

[Hungster]

I am running 5.5 on Win2k server, it works well, don't have AD cuz i still run NT 4.0 PDC

any advantage of running AD ?
i know if AD screw up, then there are tone of trouble, i will do a test on Exchange 2000 at home to see if the OWA interface any different

or just use the NFuse Elite on an outlook client

 

[Chaupa]

One advantage of the using a 2000 server is it is a heck of a lot better than nt 4.0 and Terminal services.
AD - The exchange part supports multiple databases, enhanced web access.
The Windows part - I would say the structuring of the organization. ( NDS ) The concept of sites and replication for slower links. Policies.
Sorry for the confusion, I assumed when you mentioned upgrading to AD, Exchange was included.

 

[Hungster]

Yes, when i did a test on AD and exchange 2000 for just a simple test, i find the loging on is very slow even with dual cpu server
lots of over head i guess

 

[rvsharpe]

Hey Chaupa,

Thanks for your feedback. I thought about DNS issues and Active Directory also. I have decided to leave exchange 5.5 on the NT 4.0 box for now, and reinstall NT 4.0 on the new box, promote it to a PDC and then upgrade to W2k. Then I'll install Exchange into the same org. and site and move the mailboxes, replicate public folders and recreate IMS on the new box. This way the domain accounts and related stuff will still be intact. My current NT server hardware is very old and under powered so it's not an option to upgrade it to W2K. I'll run DNS services the upgraded box and another box for redundancy for the time being.