Replacing Old Win2k Server...Lots of Problems

[jaycast]

Ok, first off, I'm not a network or systems specialist...I'm just a programmer trying to muddle his way through this networking mess.

With that said, here's the problem I'm having.

We recently purchased a new machine to run Win2k Server that should be replacing our old server running active directory (PDC). However, it wasn't as simple as I had thought it would be.

My scenario is this:

1 Win2k Server running DHCP, Print Services, and is Primary Domain Controller

4 Client Machines running either Win XP Pro or Win 2000 Pro

The network is very loosely based, running only on one username and password (account) for the office, so there's no need for a complex security hierarchy.

All I need to know is how I can go about throwing the new server in the place of the old one with all the current services running the same way they did before. The domain name needs to remain the same. The new server should keep the ID of the old server so network connections won't be interrupted.

Please Help! Let me know if you need more info.

Thanks

 

[Jpoandl]

1) Run DCPROMO (from Start --> RUN) on the new Windows 2000 server. In the DC promo wizard choose the option to join an existing domain as an additional DC.

2) install DNS, DHCP, WINS, etc services on the new DC

3) Authorize and make a new DHCP scope on the new server. Make sure that the scope points to the new server's IP address for DNS, WINS, etc

4) Configure DNS on the new server for to forward to your ISP DNS servers (provides resolution to the internet)

4) Shut down/disable the DCHP service on the old server

5) edit the old servers TCP/IP properties and point DNS to the new servers IP address.

6) Turn off/disable the DNS service on the old server

7) If using home drive in AD user profiles, edit the profile for each user to point to a location on the new server for home drives (you will also have to copy over the existing home drive data to the new server)

8) record all drive mappings on the client machines. This will show you how the users are connecting to the old server. Write a logon script (or convert your existing logon script) to point to the new server. You will also have to copy the data from the old server to the new server (ROBOCOPY can do this for you nicely)

10) for every printer that you have configured on the old server, create a printer on the new server. In the logon script, you can easily delete the old printers and add the new printers for each client (or just walk around to each desktop to do this)

11) Now move all of the FSMO roles from the old server to the new server.

12) once you are sure that the old server is no longer needed, run DCPROMO on the old server to remove the server as being a Domain controller.


-later

Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2003

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please contact

http://www.NJCOMPUTERNETWORKS.com

(Sales@njcomputernetworks.com)

 

[jaycast]

Ok, I was able to accomplish most of this 1-12 list, however, running the DCPROMO on the old server to remove it from being a DC failed. I got an error stating that a suitable replacement DC was unable to be found on my domain. The new DC Server is there and visible on the domain, so why wouldn't DCPROMO see it?

 

[JBruyet]

Just to confirm, this "old server" was running Win2k too, is that correct? When you said PDC my thought was you were running an NT4 server.

HTH,

Joe Brouillette

 

[jaycast]

Yes, the old server is running Win2K server (I said PDC because I'm still stuck in WinNT Network Mentality).

 

[minxca]

Check your DNS configuration on the old server, make sure it points to the new server. Try do nslookup.