Workgroup to Domain

[nicegsxr]

Here is a situation I am having at my company, I am the newly hired MIS person which dont have much experience in building new networks. I am ask to convert my company's workgroup network to a domain type network with Win 2k server. Here is a little info about the current setup, one win2k server running a accounting app, a sql 2000 server for the accounting app, and a shared file system under a workgroup setup. We have about 30 client workstations in the company running Win2kPro.

I wanted to build a test server first to see how everything goes, because we are planning on buying 2 new dell servers to complete this task and probably seperate the task between two servers for performance and redundency. So I am wondering if I can first install Win2kServer on a P4 cpu, and then create a domain from that new Win2kServer which I named W2kTestSvr on the network. And from there, I will create the neccessary groups and users in the Active Directory. Would I be affecting anything that goes on right now at my company by doing so? I also want to install the acct app on the new test server and then add another P4 with Win2kServer and install SQL2k Server on there then move the exisiting DB from the old server to this new test server for testing purpose so I kinda know what might go on or go wrong when the time comes for me to do the switch to the new Dell servers. Am I missing something here? Is there a better way to do this sort of migration? Can someone please point me to the right direction? I also been going over tons and tons of Mircrosoft knowledge base material but cant seem to locate anything that closely replicate the situation I am in right now, PLEASE someone help out a newbie in keeping his job. Thanks.

 

[plentym]

this is kinda a hard q for a forum response. More like a full consultancy required here, however I'll give you a few pointers, all care no responsibility taken...
1. before you do anything with your company's existing server, make sure you have reliable backups.
2. you r pretty much on the correct track in preparing the target environment prior to migrating users and applications to it.
3. while you get the basics up and running (file and print etc) and user permissions to the directory structure your existing w2k server will not be effected. (you will learn a lot during this process)
4. remember the backups...
5. you should be able to add your old w2k/sql server to the new domain without any huge side effects. the existing local users and groups will be retained. Once you have the server as a member of the AD you can grant AD users (test users first) permission to the relevent parts of the file system on that server.
6. permissions on the sql server itself (ie; the way it grants access to the databases) are a prime consideration and will determine your course of action from this point. SQL server can use NT/AD authentication or its own. If its using NT authentication you should be able to add AD users to the permissions lists for each database. If it uses its own then nothing should change - note: I haven't looked at sql administration for a number of years now so I would read a lot and ask a lot of q's of a DBA before taking my word on this.

Finally, you would do well to try and replicate the entire process prior to trying it on a live system for the first time. That is; run up a workgroup server with sql, test that it is functioning the same way as your existing server (good time to test those backups) and then add it to the AD and test functionality again. This should reveal around 85% of the gotchas you may face when migrating the real system.

hope this helps in some small way. I suggest you are open with your employer about your reservations in tackling this job by yourself, maybe they will be able to get someone in to help you. best of luck

 

[nbhandary]

Pretty Simple Pal,

First install Win2K Server / Adv Server on the new Dell box you are planning to procure. Then have SQL INstalled and the Accounting App Installed. Have necessary permissions on it and see the functionality. Hope you have all the stuff to configure the AD on the box (DNS etc etc). Then create a dummy SQL database and have a dummy client connect to it. If all the functionality is satisfied then migrate the database from live to this test server. But make sure that when you configure this test server think of an option to make it as the permanent one. So after you migrate the DB and Accounting DB, join the users one by one. Since it is a 30 client setup you shouldn't be having much pain doing it.

Nishanth
IBM India

 

[doomhamur]

Hello, as a person who does this sort of thing on a regualar basis, here are my recomendations.

The 2 new servers should only be AD controllers, DNS, printing, file. It is not a good idea to run apps and sql on dormain controllers (microsoft does not recomend this). The reason for this is that AD is very touchy about DNS and the globas catalog. if something happens to your sql or app and it brings down your AD controller, all is lost. Keep them separate. buy 2 small dell boxes (like a 1600sc or a 1650 if you have a rack) Mirror the drives and install the OS.

if you want to use one for file servering, make it a 2600 or 2650 mirror 2 drives for the OS and a RAID 5 for data.

also be careful when moving your users over to the domain. copy thier my documents to a nuetral folder on c:\ before you move them, then move the my documents to the new domain user folder.

Good luck Doomhamur
Network Engineer
"Certifications? we dont need no stinking certifiaction."
yahoo IM handle: greater_vortex

 

[nicegsxr]

Let me first thank all of you for the prompt and helpful replies. And also let me clarify my plan just a bit to see if someone else got a better solution.

The 2 new servers I plan to get will be the Dell 2600 in a 5u rack format with 1x2 media 36gbx2 Raid 1 and 1x6 36gbx4 Raid 5. I am going to get both identical systems as well.

1. Put in a W2kServer test server and just setup AD on it so it becomes the new domain's controller. If all goes well, then I will promote 1 of the new Dell Rack Servers as the PDC and leave the test server as a BDC. That would be my first task.

2. Second task is to install another W2kServer test server with SQL2k Server and install both the app software and the backup database on it. I will test the whole process of doing so. If all goes well, then I am set to go for the purchase of the 2 new Dell racks.

So pretty much that what I kinda wana do for right now, does anyone else have any inputs? Or am I doing something wrong with the stuff I mentioned? Thanks.

2.

 

[doomhamur]

Sounds good, looks like you have a nice plan. Here is something i made up to help with converting PC's in a workgroup to a domain, works well and could help you.


I use redirected My Documents and this is them only way i have found to be consistent in getting it to work right. i have added some steps for this who do not use folder redirection.

Domain Conversion Process for PC’s in a Peer-to-Peer

1. Logon as Administrator

2. Right click on My Network Places and click Properties
a. Double click Local Area Connection, click on Properties
b. Double click Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
c. Click the Obtain an IP address automatically radio button and click OK

3. Join the domain
a. Right click on My Computer, click Properties click the Network Identification tab
b. Click on Properties
c. Enter the name of the domain in the Domain Box and click ok
d. When the user window opens, enter administrator and the password
e. After the “Welcome to the domainname domain” window appears, reboot the PC

4. Choose domainname in the Domain box and login as the user

5. Set Windows to show hidden files and folders (Needed to copy user settings)
a. Open Windows Explorer – Right click Start and click Explore
b. Click on Tools then Folder Options then the View tab
c. Click the Show hidden files and folders button
d. Uncheck Hide file extensions for know file types
e. Click Like Current Folder and click OK

>>>Skip step 6 if you don’t use folder redirection for My Documents

6. Check the My Documents folder in Explorer it should say “this folder is Online” and there should not be a My Documents folder in the domain profile – Sometimes you have to reboot and login again to get the folder redirection to work

7. Setup Outlook
a. Double Click on the Outook icon to start outlook.
b. Name the new profile and call it username
c. Add the services needed – do not add any usernames or passwords.

8. Reboot the machine and login as administrator

>>>Not Using Redirection? Sub Section: copying profiles in place of steps 9 - 15. For this part, you could use the profiles in mycomputer/properties to copy the entire profile of the user if you don’t use redirection NOTE: you may need to login locally as an administrator for this to work.

1. Right click on My Computer, click Properties
2. Click the User Profiles tab
3. Choose the profile you want to copy and click Copy To
4. browse to the directory of the domain profile (username.domainname) set the permision to the domain user and click OK.
>>>>>>

9. Go to Document and Settings

10. Open the folder for the local user profile – there will be 2 user profiles, the local one: username and the domain profile: username.domainname

11. Go to C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

12. Copy the current PST file to the same directory in username.domainname

13. Switch the names of the PST files

14. Copy the C:\Documents and Settings\username\Favorites folder to C:\Documents and Settings\ username.domainname
15. Check the C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop folder, if there are any icons copy them to C:\Documents and Settings\ username.domainname \Desktop

>>>This step is very important

16. Create a directory called tempdata in C:
17. Copy contents of C:\Data, C:\Docs and C:\my documents (or any other user files) to c:\tempdata

18. Reboot and login as the user with domainname in the Domain field

19. Open windows Explorer

20. Move all files/folders in C:\tempdata to My Documents on the desktop

21. Check Outlook to make sure the PST file is correct.

22. Attach network printers
a. Click Start, click settings, and click Printers. Add a network printer
b. Use ‘Find printer in directory’ and click Next then click Find Now
c. Double click the printer to install, get the drivers from \\corpdc\install\printers if needed
23. Repeat step 5 but uncheck Show hidden files and folders Doomhamur
Network Engineer
"Certifications? we dont need no stinking certifiaction."
yahoo IM handle: greater_vortex