Renaming Computer Name

[cmarch1]

Tonight I will promote my NT BDC to PDC
upgrade it to Win2000 and Active Directory
Take down my NT BDC and PDC

Can I then rename my new Win2000 Server to the same computer name as my old NT PDC (because I have several SQL databases that users have ODBC connections already set and serveral people who log into the Domain [note I am running Novell network and have the client for microsoft networks]to have direct access to other Win2000 servers)?
Without doing this means I will have to manually go to each of these user's machines and locally fix the client for microsoft and any or all ODBC connections

 

[taztug]

IF ou are taking your old PDC down why are you not upgrading it also?

IF the old PDC doesn't meet 2000 Specs, I would rename the BDC after you promote it. Thus you would need to do the promotion of the BDC, remove the old PDC and then rename the new PDC. Thus the upgrade goes smoother. With that I would also test the ODBC connections prior to and after upgrading the old BDC.

Best of luck,
Mike "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke

Mike
MCSE

 

[FilthPig]

If your current SQL server meets the hardware requirements for Windows 2000 server, I'd strongly suggest upgrading it also. That way you don't have to rename anything (which can be problematic, you have to remove any static or dynamic DNS entries for it, any WINS entries, if it's in host files or SQL Server client config you have to change those too). Running SQL Server on a domain controller is not an ideal configuration either.
Regardless, you shouldn't have to do anything in Client for Microsoft Networks if you rename the server or not, as it uses the domain name, and the NetBIOS domain name is forced to remain the same when you upgrade like this. Marc Creviere

 

[cmarch1]

Well..this is the current setup
I have a NT PDC and several Win2K servers on that same domain.
Following everyone's advice, I created a NT BDC to be promoted to PDC and then upgraded to Win2k.
Once the upgrade is done, I will not need either of the NT boxes (the main PDC is a very old server and will be used as a web test development box, the other now BDC is just a normal PC and not an actual server just created to do this upgrade to Win2k).
the new Win2K server will be the PDC but only after I can get the domain off of NT

 

[cmarch1]

Also I have SQL installed on my new Win2K server with all databases(would have to do a new restore once everything is said and done) and procedures. So the only issue would be connecting to this database. The only way for me to do that without touching every appropriate user is to rename the new Win2k server to the same name as the old NT PDC.

any advice is welcome and thanks