non-standard Domain Name to upgrade / migrate

[Guest]

My company is looking to upgrade from NT 4.0 to Active Directory; I'm
familiar with the Upgrade or Migration methods, but the issue is their
non-standard
current NT 4.0 Domain name - defined by mycompany.com.

The .com is not a standard name for Win NT 4.0 and as told before, it may
conflict conflict if I do an inpalce upgrade or migration not including.
Also, any known DNS issues that will come up If I opt to do a migration by
creating a different domain like ny.mycompany.com with the current
company.com NT 4.0 Domain.

Any ideas / expirience with this?

Thanks for your help...

 

[Chriss3 [MVP]]

During an NT4.0 to Windows Server 2003 inplace upgrade I suppose you are
requested to enter a full qualify domain name such company.com. Since only
the NETBIOS name was used at NT4.0.

I can't see a reason why you can't use the company.com domain name?

--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply Chris;

That's the question, will there be an issue since the current NT 4.0 Domain
is company.com to use the same Name for the FQDN?
Does Windows NT 4.0 really consider this a NETBIOS name that will not
interfere during an in-place upgrade (when I enter the same name
company.com), or will it error out and cause unknown DNS issues (implying
company.com is a NETBIOS name accroding to NT 4.0)?

Thanks

 

[Chriss3 [MVP]]

Is the current NT4.0 Domain NetBIOS name company.com? and not company?
Active Directory domains support both for back-level communication.

--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Yes, the current NT 4.0 Domain NETBIOS name is company.com, not company.

Active Directory domains support both for back-level communication.

So I would have to come up with a different name for AD? Or I can also use
comapny.com?

tks

 

[Chriss3 [MVP]]

Then I suggest you to migrate the current NT4.0 domain to your new Active
Directory domain. If you chose to use the name domain name for your new AD
domain as you have for the NT4.0 domain. You have to setup a placeholder
domain to workaround that.

NT4.0 [company.com] - > placeholder.com -> AD [company.com]

--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup

 

[Guest]

Great.
Thanks again for the advice.

I'll look into this process.

Then I suggest you to migrate the current NT4.0 domain to your new Active
Directory domain. If you chose to use the name domain name for your new AD
domain as you have for the NT4.0 domain. You have to setup a placeholder
domain to workaround that.

NT4.0 [company.com] - > placeholder.com -> AD [company.com]

--
Regards
Christoffer Andersson
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services

No email replies please - reply in the newsgroup
------------------------------------------------
http://www.chrisse.se - Active Directory Tips

Yes, the current NT 4.0 Domain NETBIOS name is company.com, not company.

So I would have to come up with a different name for AD? Or I can also use
comapny.com?

tks

 

[Herb Martin]

I would first rename the NT domain.

But I am a bit incredulous that you managed
to get that (NetBIOS) domain name set in NT
with that "." in there.

I was under the impression that NT tools would
not allow this.

(Although technically, practically any 8-bit pattern
can be a NetBIOS name character the tools did
not seem to allow for this.)

Get the NetBIOS name to "company" before you
upgrade. (You will be much happier that you did
so.)

 

[Guest]

Tks for the reply Herb.

You're right, I'm not sure how they managed the "." in the Domain (NETBIOS)
name; this was done way before my time - AND by UNIX Admins... which explains
the thinking, not the method.

Now Chris suggests Migrate to >mycompany.com > placeholderDomain.com >
mycompany.com.

It sounds you are suggesting and NT 4.0 Domain rename > then in Place Upgrade?

Would you know which of these is the least problematic / time comsuming?

Thanks
ZR7

 

[Herb Martin]

Tks for the reply Herb.

You're right, I'm not sure how they managed the "." in the Domain (NETBIOS)
name; this was done way before my time - AND by UNIX Admins... which explains
the thinking, not the method.

I would have sworn the GUIs would stop that,
but a NetBIOS programmer can certainly
create such a name.

Now Chris suggests Migrate to >mycompany.com > placeholderDomain.com >
mycompany.com.

It sounds you are suggesting and NT 4.0 Domain rename > then in Place

Upgrade?

[I don't recommend the placeholder domains in ANY
case -- but that is irrelevant to my answer here.]

No matter what, rename the domain FIRST.

Straighten out this mess while you can.

Would you know which of these is the least problematic / time comsuming?

It is TEDIOUS to rename an NT domain but it
is possible and documented (in some KB at
Microsoft.)

If you can't Google it out, tell me and I will find
it for you.

You will regret it if you upgrade with this name.
(10 to 1 odds on this prediction.)