<< I NEED TO ADD AN EXISTING PDC TO AN EXISTING AD DOMAIN - HELP PLEASE !>>

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PDS

Hi there

I have a challenge on my hands.

I have to move our current PDC and BDC "as is" to my NEW existing AD
domain that consists of two DC's.

The reason i have to try and move them "as is" is because the guy that
originally set them up a few years ago used them as if they were
File/App/Print servers !!!!! Can you believe it

It has a lot of data on it.

Now i know that you cannot have NT4 PDC/BDC's exist in the same domain
as W2K DC's, so i guess i have to upgrade them to W2K first and try to
make them join the existing W2K domain (remember people have drive
mappings to these servers so i need them in tact on the other side)

All i'm scared of is that it will screw up my current Active
Directory. Is my fears justified ? Or should i be fine ?

What will the steps be to do this "move". Please help ASAP

Many Thanks

Pieter
 
If your domain was created as 'Mixed Mode', they should co-exist. Why do
they have to be domain controllers when you already have two W2k domain
controllers?
 
Inline...


Hi there

I have a challenge on my hands.

I have to move our current PDC and BDC "as is" to my NEW existing AD
domain that consists of two DC's.
Hmm, that's not easy if you wish the PDC/BDC to remain DCs.
The reason i have to try and move them "as is" is because the guy that
originally set them up a few years ago used them as if they were
File/App/Print servers !!!!! Can you believe it
Sometimes it's convenient!

It has a lot of data on it.
Why can't you run both your Domains and create trusts between the NT
and 2000 Domains? Then your users can access the files etc on the NT
Domain from the 2000 Domain while you migrate.
Now i know that you cannot have NT4 PDC/BDC's exist in the same domain
as W2K DC's, so i guess i have to upgrade them to W2K first and try to
make them join the existing W2K domain (remember people have drive
mappings to these servers so i need them in tact on the other side)
If you promote the PDC to 2000 you will end up with a new 2000 AD
Domain. Someone will correct if I'm wrong but I believe that you can't
join an existing NT PDC/BDC to an existing 2000 AD Domain.

Incidentally, you CAN have NT BDCs on a mixed mode AD Domain, if the
original PDC is upgraded from NT to 2000
All i'm scared of is that it will screw up my current Active
Directory. Is my fears justified ? Or should i be fine ?
It's possible, I guess, but unlikely. You are more likely to end up
with a broken NT Domain and/or a new seperate 2000 Domain.
What will the steps be to do this "move". Please help ASAP
OK, where are your users at the moment? If they are on the NT Domain
you will first have to move them to the 2000 Domain. You may have
difficulty moving them with mappings intact to the new Domain though.
You may have to give them scripts to rebuild the mappings when they
get migrated.

I would firstly build a trust between the two Domains, then I would
migrate all users to the new Domain (if I'm guessing your situation
correctly). Then I would migrate the F&P services away from the old NT
Domain (if possible).

I would not attempt to join the NT boxes to the 2000 Domain - I don't
think it will work.

If you really have to move the NT PDC/BDC boxes into the 2000 Domain
you could install 2000 on the PDC, and in the process create a new AD
Domain. Do the same for all BDCs, then demote them all to member
servers thus destroying the temporary 2000 Domain in the process. You
could THEN join them to the 2000 Domain, and promote them to DCs if
necessary.

If you have Exchange on the old NT Domain, this could complicate
things.

[Did anyone mention backups? <grin>]

Cheers,

Cliff

{MVP}
 

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