Migrating NT4 to 2003

[FSUFan]

Need help migrating. I know NOTHING about systems administration. I
fell in over my head on my first job.

I have a test network setup. Don't want to mess anything up on the
actual network.

1 PDC consisting of NT4.
1 BDC consisting of 2003.
1 client computer.
All are connected to their own switch creating a LAN.

Nothing works. I can't setup active directory on 2003. I enter in my
username and password and the domain both are connected to and it says

"An Active Directory Domain controller for the domain XXXX could not be
contacted,"

DFS won't work, says the Target and source domain should be different,
but I don't want two different domains I just want to migrate from NT4
to 2003.

ADMT won't work either. Help me.

 

[Danny Sanders]

For 1 Win 2k3 can not be a BDC.

Put the Win 2k3 CD in the PDC and up grade the PDC.

See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326209/en-us

You will need DNS functioning properly to get AD to work.
See:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814591/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825036/en-us
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323380/en-us


Here is a link w/ general info on Win 2k3.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;winsvr2003

Basically there is "Migrating" and "upgrading". IMO upgrading is the easiest
way to go. In your reading, anything associated w/ ADMT is "migrating".
Don't get confused between the two.

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

 

[FSUFan]

Could I not just promote the 2003 Server to the PDC via Server Manager
in NT4? It is listed as the Backup Domain Controller in Server Manager
in NT4.

 

[Danny Sanders]

Could I not just promote the 2003 Server to the PDC via Server Manager

in NT4?

NT 4.0 knows *nothing* about Active Directory. Promoting the Win 2k3 server
on Server manager does *nothing*. Your Win 2k3 server is a member server on
your NT 4.0 domain. To make it a DC you run dcpromo on the Win 2k3 server.
During the process you will be asked if you want to create a new domain or
join an existing domain. If you say join an existing domain you are required
to point the Win 2k3 server to an AD DC, which you don't have. The install
will fail.
If you say new domain, you will be creating a *new* AD domain, most likely
that new domain will have the same name as the old NT 4.0 domain. Doing
this will back you into a corner that will take a LOT of work or a format to
get out of.
On an NT 4.0 domain the PDC is the only DC that holds a writeable copy of
the SAM. In order to carry that SAM in to the AD domain you MUST upgrade the
PDC first. Doing it this way your clients will not have to be added to a new
domain.

Running dcpromo on the Win 2k3 member server will create a *new* domain. To
your clients the SAM is different than the SAM in the NT 4.0 domain. New SAM
= new domain.

For someone with little experience w/ AD, upgrade is the way to go. But you
must upgrade the PDC first.

hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

 

[Enkidu]

Need help migrating. I know NOTHING about systems administration. I
fell in over my head on my first job.

I have a test network setup. Don't want to mess anything up on the
actual network.

1 PDC consisting of NT4.
1 BDC consisting of 2003.
1 client computer.
All are connected to their own switch creating a LAN.

Nothing works. I can't setup active directory on 2003. I enter in my
username and password and the domain both are connected to and it says

"An Active Directory Domain controller for the domain XXXX could not be
contacted,"

DFS won't work, says the Target and source domain should be different,
but I don't want two different domains I just want to migrate from NT4
to 2003.

ADMT won't work either. Help me.

To migrate from NT4 Domain to Windows 2000/2003 you need to upgrade the
PDC first. So if you have a new machine which you want to be a DC under
the new Active Directory Domain, you need to install NT4 on it first,
make it a BDC in the NT Domain. You can then upgrade either the existing
PDC or make the new machine the PDC and upgrade that first. Then upgrade
the remaining BDC to Win2003.

But really, you need to do a lot of research. When I upgraded by first
Domain from NT to 2000 AD I had a stack of notes about 1/2 cm thick!

Try looking for an upgrade plan/scenario on the Microsoft web site.

Cheers,

Cliff