NT -> 2000 roll back

[Todd Ouimet]

I was bought in after someone else had attempted to upgrade the NT
environment to Windows 2000 AD. They did an in-place upgrade on an PDC NT
Server. AD is running, sort of. The AD zone is missing all together but
the Windows 2000 DC (mixed mode) is running as the PDC. There are 2 other
NT Servers running as BDC's. The FQDN AD DNS domain was named something the
company does not wish to use.

What I'd like to do is remove the current Windows 2000 AD DC from the domain
and revert it back to strictly a NT domain (NT PDC) and redo the migration
from NT -> 2000 AD. From some research I've done there may be issues with
just removing the 2000 DC from the network and promoting one of the BDC's to
a PDC. Is this correct? What would be the correct procedure on this.
FYI - No BDC was taken offline and no pre-backup of the NT PDC or other BDC
was done.

Thanks,
Todd

 

[Todd Ouimet]

Doing some more research I found this:

"Do take an NT4 BDC offline before beginning the upgrade. (As described in
the item above, you can easily build one from scratch.) If you need to roll
back to NT4, demote the Windows 2000 controllers, then boot the "spare" BDC
and promote it to the PDC role. This will allow the NT4 directory and domain
information to repopulate itself within your network."

Unfortunately I do not have an offline NT4 BDC. I was wondering if this
process would work with just an existing online BDC.

 

[Jorge de Almeida Pinto [MVP]]

In this case I would remove the AD DC and promote one of the NT4 DCs to PDC.

However, you also need to take care about ANYTHING that depends on AD
already! One example could be exchange 200x

Before removing the AD DC make sure all its functionalities (e.g. DNS, WINS,
DHCP ,etc.) are moved to other servers if these functionalities are needed

--

Cheers,
(HOPEFULLY THIS INFORMATION HELPS YOU!)
# Jorge de Almeida Pinto #
MVP Windows Server - Directory Services
BLOG --> http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/jorge/default.aspx

 

[Enkidu]

The AD zone is missing all together...
What do you mean by this?

...but the Windows 2000 DC (mixed mode) is running as the PDC.

But of course, if you have an AD Domain, there is no PDC, though you can
have NT BDCs still operating. I assume you are uisng this phrase as
shorthand for "the Windows 2000 DC (mixed mode) is running holding all
the FSMO roles including the PDC Emulator role".

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Todd Ouimet]

Correct, Windows 2000 DC running the PDC FSMO.

Within DNS on the Windows 2k server there is no AD zone containing all the
active directory related service records.

 

[Enkidu]

I'd say your DNS problems may be the core of your AD problems. Solve
those and your problems may go away. That's not a direct help to you of
course, for which I apologize.

Cheers,

Cliff