-----Original Message-----
Make sure it holds all of the domain wide fsmo roles, select the 'this is
the last domain controller option.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en- us;238369
US;230306
dw
--
Don Wilwol
Collective Technologies
Professional Services Consultant
http://www.collectivetech.com
.
Don,
I think that you suggestion might cause a problem!
However, I am not sure that I am following the question,
though. Someone please correct me if I am not seeing
something obvious.
Wade, I am going to assume a few things. Please correct
me where I have assumed incorrectly. Please provide a few
more details.
It appears to me that Wade wants to gracefully decomission
the last NT 4.0 domain controller in his environment.
Normally, you could upgrade it to WIN2000 and then run
DCPROMO on it. There is another choice as well, probably
a whole lot easier! Wade further states that it was the
PDC of the NT 4.0 Domain. This leads to some confusion on
my part. Questions below.
My question to Wade would be: Is this former WINNT 4.0 PDC
currently a WIN2000 Domain Controller ( because if you do
an inplace upgrade from WINNT 4.0 to WIN2000 you must
first do the WINNT 4.0 PDC ) or is this the WINNT 4.0 PDC
that was removed from the network and stuck in a closet
someplace just in case the upgrade to WIN2000 went sour
or, after a successful upgrade, it was decided that
WIN2000 was not for you?
My guess would be that it was the WINNT 4.0 PDC that was
upgraded to WIN2000 ( thus, becoming the very first
WIN2000 AD Domain Controller in the environment -
Forest/Tree/Domain ). By default, this WIN2000 DC will
hold all five of the FSMO Roles as well as be a Global
Catalog Server. I can only assume that Wade has added
additional DCs into the environment. I can only further
assume that he wants to do this due to the hardware being
a bit outdated ( although there are a myriad of other
reasons - getting rid of an "upgraded" DC is not such a
bad idea! ).
If all of this is true AND Wade would like to keep his
current Forest/Tree/Domain AND we are talking about a
single domain/tree/forest environment then making sure
that this DC holds all five of the FSMO Roles and checking
the "This is the last domain controller ... " radio button
might put Wade in a situation that none of would like to
face.
If what I am seeing is indeed accurate ( and please
correct me if I am missing something ) then I would
suggest that Wade transfer any and all of the five FSMO
Roles that this DC might hold to another appropriate
Domain Controller. This can be accomplished via the
various MMCs or via NTDSUtil. I would also make sure that
there is at least one other Global Catalog Server in the
environment and that the placement of this GC does not
cause any problems ( Infrastructure Master issue... ).
This can be handled in the Active Directory Sites and
Services MMC. Naturally, any services - such as
DNS/WINS/DHCP - that this DC holds need to be 'transfered'
( read: placed on another DC and removed from this DC - or
better yet, simply turn off those Services ) to another DC
as well. Once all of this is accomplished I would keep
that DC on-line for a few more days just to make sure all
is coolio!
Then run DCPROMO on that DC to remove it from the domain.
Again, I am basing my post on a few assumptions ( always
dangerous ) so please correct me if I am missing something
or assumed incorrectly.
HTH,
Cary
