NT4.0 PDC to 2000 Server AD

[NikeGuy23]

Hi all, I am currently in the process of looking to upgrade our existing PDC (NT 4.0 Server) to WIN2K with AD. As I have read in many other posts it seems like the best way to do this is to do an upgrade. I was wondering if anyone knows a way to Install WIN2K Server with AD from scratch? What files will I have to have backed up and/or can this be done?
Thanks

 

[NovaC]

From everthing I have studied and done in practice (this very thing), you have to upgrage your PDC from 4.0 to 2000, then you can add as many 2000 servers as you want. If you have problems on your existing PDC and that is why you want to clean install, I would suggest you upgrade the PDC, install another 2000 server and then make it the Global server and decommission the old PDC after you have a new machine up with 2000. There may be a workaround out there for doing what you asked, but I have not found it.

Kevin Shier MCP

 

[NikeGuy23]

Thanks for getting back to me. Let me run this idea past you. What if I was to upgrade my existing PDC from NT to 2000 and install AD on it. Then take another 2000 Server and install AD on it. Let them Sync up, then take the original PDC (old NT4 box) format the drive and put a fresh 2000 install on it, install AD and let them two boxes synch up again and remove AD on the other box returning the original box to the only DC? any ideas on that theory?
Thanks

 

[b203116]

NikeGuy23

The first DC in a AD forest is the forest root, you DO NOT want to remove the forest root from your AD environment. If you are worried about the condition of your existing NT 4 PDC I would recommend that you build a new NT 4 BDC with all new hardware. Have this join your domain and sync with the PDC. After this is complete, promote your new BDC to be the PDC of your domain and then in-place upgrade it to be the forest root of your new AD domain. This will be the easiest way for you to get up and operational quickly.

 

[NikeGuy23]

I am not worried about the state of the PCD I have just heard of many problems when upgrading instead of doing a fresh install of WIN2K. So that is why I was thinking of doing the upgrade on my PDC to 2K with AD then install AD on another server and take the original PDC down format the drive and put a fresh install of 2K with AD on it. If this is not a good idea please let me know. So the best solution then is to just upgrade from NT to 2K?

 

[b203116]

NikeGuy23

In-place upgrades are not a bad thing, it is always best to start from a clean environment but that is not real life. I have done multiple in-place upgrades for clients, if they are planned correctly everything works as expected.

 

[1sexypapi]

you can do what you were planning but after taking the 2k upgrade PDC offline you have to make that other 2k server operation master otherwise you wont be able to update active directory properly