Joining two Windows 2000 domains

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

I have two Win 2K domains (the older one which is basically used for Exchange and a few user accounts, and the newer one which holds the bulk of the network's info).

Can anyone point me to a site that has some info on procedures for combining the two domains? I want the newer domain to contain everything and the older domain to be deleted. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Cary Shultz [A.D. MVP]]

John,

What is the relationship between the 'older' domain and the 'newer' domain?

Cary

Hi Everyone,

I have two Win 2K domains (the older one which is basically used for

Exchange and a few user accounts, and the newer one which holds the bulk of
the network's info).

Can anyone point me to a site that has some info on procedures for

combining the two domains? I want the newer domain to contain everything and
the older domain to be deleted. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Rich]

John
Have you thought about using the Active Directory
Migration Tool? This might help you combine the two
domains into the one you want to use.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/tools/admt/d
efault.asp

HTH

Rich

-----Original Message-----
Hi Everyone,

I have two Win 2K domains (the older one which is

basically used for Exchange and a few user accounts, and
the newer one which holds the bulk of the network's info).

Can anyone point me to a site that has some info on

procedures for combining the two domains? I want the newer
domain to contain everything and the older domain to be
deleted. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[John]

Not much, as far as I can tell, except the fact that the
older domain is a remnant of the previous network. I was
hired as the Network Manager at my company, and the person
who held the posiiton before me was quite unorthodox with
their methods of setting up AD.

Joining the two domains (as of this point) is strictly a
clean-up effort. Aside from that, I've found quite a few
security loopholes and trust-relationship errors because
of the two-domain structure that can easily be resolved by
having one domain.

 

[Cary Shultz [A.D. MVP]]

I guess that I should have more specific in my question. Sorry!

Is the newer domain in the same forest as the older domain - either as a
subdomain ( aka childdomain ) or as a separate domain tree - or are these
two 'domains' completely separate forests? My guess from your response
would be separate forests...

Cary

 

[John]

Cary,

You're correct, they are two seperate forests. If I
understand it correctly, that poses more of a problem than
if it were simply a subdomain. Thanks for your quick
responses, by the way!

 

[John]

As a side note, the only thing on the older domain that is
of value is the Exchange server information. Everything
else can afford to be deleted.

 

[Cary Shultz [A.D. MVP]]

John,

I do not think that it necessarily causes more of a problem. In fact, it
might even be for the better!

You can use ADMT v2 to migrate all of the user account objects / computer
account objects / group account objects from the older domain to the newer
domain. The only thing that we need to worry about now is Exchange. This
Exchange Server in the older domain is set up to be authoritative for the
two domains, correct?

Cary

 

[Guest]

I believe so. Everyone within our location (about 600
people) as well as a remote site (about another 500)
authenticate to the older domain for their email.

I'm still learning the intricacies of the network (as it
is only my second day), but to answer your question - yes,
it is authoritative.

 

[John]

I believe so. Everyone within our location (about 600
people) as well as a remote site (about another 500)
authenticate to the older domain for their email.

I'm still learning the intricacies of the network (as it
is only my second day), but to answer your question - yes,
it is authoritative.