Moving from eDirectory to Active Directory

[Baldur3635]

Now that Novell have finally dumped everyone and have tried to force us to their really horrible, badly supported, buggy version of Linux, my boss has decided to convert everything to Microsoft.

Here's my problem : -

We have 2 Windows 2003 Servers, not in any Domain and no Active Directory. One is the Primary DNS and the other a Secondary DNS. These have been working for years. The Forward Lookup Zone is in the format xxx.yyy.com.

We bought Windows 2008 and my job is to implement Active Directory.

Step 1. I installed another Windows 2003 Server and everything I have read tells me to install DNS first and use the format yyy.local. I did this and set it to forward queries to my primary DNS Server and my Secondary DNS Server.

As far as I can make out, this step is OK. (I hope I'm correct!). I checked it out on several workstations and I can get onto the Internet if I make the yyy.local AD Server DNS the DNS on the Client.

Step 2. I ran DCPromo and made the First Domain controller - No problems. I checked the Workstations again and I could still resolve queries pointing to the AD Server.

Step 3. Installed 2 more Windows 2008 Servers and made them Members of the Domain I created. So far everything works fine.

So what's the problem?

The problem is what do I do with my two Windows 2003 NameServers on xxx.yyy.com. Should I make these members of the domain (will this change the DNS on those servers?) or should I leave them as stand-alone servers.

Anyone's advice on theis would be highly appreciated.

 

[itsp1965]

Although I have never added existing DNS servers to an AD integrated DNS environment, I would avoid adding these servers to the existing yyy.local domain. In my current environment I use AD-DNS for my Windows machines and use standalone Unix DNS servers as forwarders to the Internet and other network resources within my environment. Kinda sounds like your environment only that you are using Windows DNS servers as forwarders

 

[Baldur3635]

Many thanks for your input. This was the same line as my reasoning. I've always avoided using DNS on a NetWare Server, since an entire NetWare Site went down and the biggest complaints were that users couldn't access the Internet.

Keeping one's eggs all in one basket has always been a bit dodgy. I tested it as it is and even if the entire domain dies, I can change the DHCP on the DHCP Server (also on the two name servers) and users can still 'play' on the Internet whilst we recover from the disaster.

As long as users have Internet access (and their mail) they will keep quiet until work is fixed!

That's the only bit of Novell we plan to hang on to for as long as possible - the GroupWise Mail Server on NetWare 6.5. They can keep their Linux. We use CentOS for our Linux boxes it's free!