Moving W2K DC to new W2K DC 1

[Dollie]

I'm slated to move our data to a new server this weekend, and it hit me that I'm moving our domain controller.

Because it will be the new DC and we also have users with mapped drives as well as network printers, would it be easiest to name the new server with the same name as the old server? I'm thinking that this will keep the move seamless for my users.

I found a great article (Q249694) on MS's site about moving to new hardware, but it does not apply to domain controllers.

Thanks in advance!

 

[rphips]

How do you plan to migrate the data?

bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[Dollie]

There are two ways I can migrate the data.

#1 is just porting it over via our network
#2 is restoring the data from a backup

(No databases, just all our files)

 

[rphips]

Now heres a tough question that will help you decide what you are going to do

How are you going to replicate the Active Directory?

Manually - inputting all users
Then yes you can build a server with the same name just can't be on the network until you remove the other one

Replication - then the server will have its own name and you are going to have to do all the other work

Now there are scripts wriiten that can map drives and do other work for you - seeral people on Tek-Tips can help with that.

bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[jaksen112]

your task is quite simple ...

Bring up the new server, promote to DC (dcpromo) this will replicate the entire contents of active directory (login scripts etc) edit scripts to point new mappings

Copy the data over to the new server via network, keep in mind security will be lost.

dcpromo the old server and demote then delete.

done.


01110000

 

[rphips]

Easy as 1, 2, 3 Except the name of the dc will change



bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[Dollie]

So essentially I need to consider which is going to be more time consuming... recreating the AD structure or remapping 20 workstations to shared directories and printers?

The new server had already had AD installed, but it has been removed because it was recommended that I keep the server name the same. (Note that the person doing the recommending has a 190 IQ and overthinks everything, usually waaaaaaay over my head!)

 

[minxca]

I'm going to do it also this summer (1DC + exchange and 2 DC). My question is how about FSMO? Do I have to transfer it first before I demote my first DC?

And Exchange....? I can't restore it from backup because the new server name is not the same. Is it difficult to move Exchange 2000?

Thanks,

 

[rphips]

Moving Exchange is just as easy since everything is in AD

all you basically have to be concerned with is the mailboxes and you can either move them to the new exchange or do a backup and restore or have the users create a .pst file then import it when your ready.

Microsoft has awhole lot of info on moving exchange,
look under

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr...change/exchange2000/reskit/part2/c05adint.asp

I just move my exchange server 2 and its not as hard as it use to be.

bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[Dollie]

Here's a scenario with a question...

Four servers, all but one have AD. 1 is data files (primary server that is being replaced), 1 is databases, 1 is a web server, 1 is for development. Can I remove (or demote?) the primary server, add the new server with the same name as the primary to the network, add AD, move the data over and essentially be done aside from misc program tweaking?

 

[vbrocks]

After you replicate and copy the data over wouldn't you be able to rename the new DC to the old dc's name?

 

[rphips]

Dollie

Sure that would work but you must demote and remove the old server (cannot have 2 servers with the same name on a network) Its alot more work than just replicating.
Also when you demote the AD who will take its place - you will need to make another server the PDC with AD otherwise your network will have 3 stand alones and no controller.

vbrocks

You could but it mess up your DNS and DHCP service along with a few others.

Your best bet is to do what jaksen112 said its simple and direct .

bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[Dollie]

Thanks a TON guys, y'all are as good as a sitting in a room full of peers.

This is my first server setup where I've been given free reign as to how I'm going to handle it, and wanted to come up with the best plan possible.

Once again this site and its members has been proven invaluable!!

 

[djf912]

I believe that in order to replace a domain controller (if you're adding the new one to the domain first) you also would need to make sure that the new DC has the Global Catalog and that all of the Operations Masters (domain name master role, infrastructure master role, PDC emulator role, relative ID master role, and schema master role) are transferred to the new DC.

I'm about to do this myself within the next couple of weeks. I've never done this before myself, so if anyone thinks differently (or agrees) please say so.

Thanks

 

[rphips]

Your welcome Dollie

And if you need anymore help you know where to find us.




bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[rphips]

djf912

If you add the new server to the netword (different name) and add AD and replicate the AD all information such as Global Catalog and that all of the Operations Masters (domain name master role, infrastructure master role, PDC emulator role, relative ID master role, and schema master role) are replicated between the 2 servers.
In other words they are a mirror of each other.

Then all you do is demote the old server and the new server will auto promote itself as the PDC.




bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[djf912]

But it would also work the way I mentioned as well, correct?

 

[rphips]

if you want to check the FSMO then ok but when you replicate AD all information is duplicated (exact copy) twins, same info same users, same FSMO, in other words everthing is the same.

Now if Murphy gets involved anything can happen

But the task is fairly simple in Windows 2000

bob

Jones' Law
The man who can smile when things go wrong has thought of someone he can blame it on.

 

[jaksen112]

Windows will produce pop ups warning about transferring roles and what not (I forgot about GC and FSMO) I just did this last weekend.

01110000

 

[djf912]

jaksen112

When you received the pop ups, did you transfer the roles then? Or does it do it automatically?