Replacing NT Notes Server with 2003 Server, DNS Issues

[arturner]

Hi All,

I have been asked to replace our old Windows NT Server Lotus Notes server with a 2003 model, I've got the hardware and got Windows 2003 Server installed, but I am now stuck on how to go about installing DNS on the new server, Here's the situation:

-- Current NT Lotus Notes Server is DNS server for domain.

-- I need to build the 2003 server in parallel, as there are 1100 people using old server for Notes & DNS.

How do I install DNS onto the 2003 server and test it, before going live with the new Notes server and switching the old one off?

We are not using Active Directory at the moment, that is a future project, as our domains are currently using NT servers.

Thanks in advance.

Andrew Turner

 

[ducksoup]

Are you running DHCP? How many static addresses do you have/need (non-users, like servers and routers)?

 

[ShackDaddy]

Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs -> Add/Remove Windows Components -> Networking Services -> Details -> Check the DNS Server box.

Now you are installing DNS. What you need to worry about now is what the best way to migrate all your zones over to this server.

1. You need to copy all your zone files from the System32\DNS directory on your NT server into the same folder on your new server.

2. For each zone file that you copied over, you need to use the DNS Admin tool on the new server to create a new zone, and when it asks about creating a zone file, tell it to load the prexisting file that's in the system32\DNS folder.

I would also recommend that you copy the DNS files over to the new server before installing DNS. Then take that server off the network, give it the same IP address that the prexisting DNS server has, then install DNS as I described above and load all the zone files. This way none of the SOA records are messed up. Next check all the appropriate properties on the two servers to compare and make sure they match.

Finally, at some opportune time, swap out the servers and start testing DNS and Notes.

Mutate this plan to suit your specific needs.

ShackDaddy

 

[arturner]

Hi, Yes we're running DHCP, the DHCP server is running on our main fileserver though.

We're keeping 20 static addresses free for routers and servers at the moment.

 

[ducksoup]

Then you need to transfer any of theose 20 addresses that are in use, plus any forward-lookup zones.

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