Hi,
we've a Windows 2000 Active Directory with 4 DCs and a child
Domain with 2
DCs.
We'd like to rename our parent domain after migration to
Windows 2003 AD
(and then the child).
It is possible? Any problems? Any advices? Any link to
documents related?
Thank you so much!
See:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/downloads/domainrename.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...4a-c4b9-4031-b491-29839148a28c&displaylang=en
For starters, a domain rename is only possible when your forest is at
Forest Functional Level Windows Server 2003 and if it contains
Exchange, only Exchange 2003 WITH SP1 are supported! All other
situations do not allow or support domain rename! However, I’m not
sure about other MS AD enabled apps (like SMS, etc.)
The domain rename procedure is a procedure that affects YOUR COMPLETE
FOREST! I would think twice before doing it or before recommending it.
As a safe measure I would want to have a Disaster Recovery Plan
available to recover the forest if something went wrong. If all other
options are not available I would want to copy my production
environment into a test environment and test test test test.... I
would also test the Disaster Recovery plan to be sure it will work!
You however, have another option to think about. Why not create a new
forest (also think about the current structure of the current forest
if that is needed. Think about the reason of existance of the domains)
and migrate the current users, groups, mail, data, servers to the new
forest.
I would consider the migration before the Domain Rename. Do an impact
and risk analysis of both to determine what is best for you.
