NT4 to 2K Server Migration Help 1

[skhoury]

Hello all,

I work for a small company that currently has the following network setup:

NT4_PDC / File server
NT4_BDC / Email server
NT4_BDC / Database server
2K client PCs

Simple enough....my task is to upgrade all three machines to Windows 2000 server.

Ignoring all the machines except the PDC...what should be the first step?

We have already purchased a new machine to act as our new PDC, so the old machine will not be used.


Any thoughts on what direction I should take this?

I have taken a dummy machine, and setup Win2k Server on it as a test. But how should I actually configure the server itself, since it will eventually be the new PDC? In other words...should I create a new domain? Add it to the domain? A new sub domain?

So confused...any guidance will be very appreciated.

Many thanks in advance!


--Sam

 

[seechance]

Everyone,
I have completed this procedure and have everything working! I’m going to post a step-by-step message on the do’s and don’ts. I will be posting it very soon.


Seechance

 

[frl]

Seechance,

Nice to hear everything went well.I would be very thankfull if you post your suggestions & experience. I plan to do it this month.

 

[Theseekers]

Hi Tekers,

I am now facing the path that you have gone before. My situation is a little bit differ from cases mentioned and not so sure about my idea; thus, I am asking for your advice now.

Our environment is as follow:

1 NT PDC
1 NT BDC
1 W2K workgroup (configure a a member server)
very small user community (20)

What I want now is to get rid of the those NTs and make the W2K the main DC.

Based on what I have read so far. Can I just take those NTs off line, rename the domain to the current domain that is on the NT now, recreate user account and set permission, and test out.

Would you reccommend this solution in my case???

TIA

As always, the seekers is out seeking.

 

[ranweb]

Theseekers,

If you don't mind re-creating all the accouts, that is a way to perform the move towards Active Directory (AD). You would basically be re-creating your network. After you do that, you have to have all your pc's rejoin the Active Directory domain.

As mentioned, the process of installing 2000 Srv onto the NT PDC will establish it as a DC. Once the upgraded NT box is upgraded to a DC, then you can promote the already 2k Srv members server as another DC. Once everything has been syncronized and you've migrated all the roles (Schema Owner, PDC role, RID, Infrastructure) from srv to srv, you can then go back to simply 'demote' the upgrade DC back to a member server by running dcpromo. If you to the above mentioned migration, all of your computer accounts will not have to be rejoined to the network.

Randy

 

[dennisbbb]

What Randy is saying is the best way of upgrading.
By upgrading an NT PDC to Win2K DC, you don't have to rejoin users to the domain. By demoting the upgraded PDC back to a member server, and promoting an existing or newly installed Win2K server to a DC, you get the cleaner Win2K DC just as you are creating a new domain from scratch.