NT 4.0 Migration

[Gary]

Hi,

actually our system will migrate from NT 4.0 to Wins 2000 with AD. We have 3
different sites (China, HK and USA). We plan to use the Single forest multi
domain as our AD design.
At USA, we are currently running wins 2000 with AD service but we going to
rename the forest name (which is the forest root of our AD). At China and HK
both are running NT 4.0 server
with PDC and BDC (they are running some applications which are not support
by Wins 2000 therefore we need to keep them in NT 4.0) if i join these PDC
and BDC server to the new
Wins 2000 domain, is it any problem or any special setting. Also, we are
using exchange 5.5 and going to migrate them to exchange 2000 (after the
migration of windows 2000).
That why we need to set the exchange server (BDC) to join the new wins 2000
domain to keep the email services.
By the way how can we migrate the user account and password from NT 4.0
domain into Wins 2000 AD? We tried the ADMT but it alway display "your
domain is not Native mode".


Thanks,
Gary.

 

[Enkidu]

Hi,

actually our system will migrate from NT 4.0 to Wins 2000 with AD. We have 3
different sites (China, HK and USA). We plan to use the Single forest multi
domain as our AD design.

At USA, we are currently running wins 2000 with AD service but we going to
rename the forest name (which is the forest root of our AD).

How do you propose to do this? It is very difficult, I understand to
achieve this.

At China and HK both are running NT 4.0 server with PDC and BDC (they are
running some applications which are not support by Wins 2000 therefore we
need to keep them in NT 4.0)

If the applications HAVE to run on the PDC and BDC you will need to
keep the NT4 Domains and maybe you will need trusts between the NT4
domains and the Win2k forest. However you could join the application
servers to the Win2K Domain **if** the application can be moved to an
NT member server so that the application does not run on a PDC or BDC.

In which case, I suggest that you could move the applications off the
PDC and BDC and onto member servers. Then upgrade the PDC (and BDCs)
to Win2k as a new Domain in the forest. That would automatically make
the meber servers members of the new Win2kk/AD domain.

if i join these PDC and BDC server to the new Wins 2000 domain, is it any
problem or any special setting.

You cannot join an NT4 Domain to a Win2K Domain. So if you join the
PDC and BDC to the Win2k domain, the servers will no longer be PDC,
BDC or even DC. You will effectively destroy the NT4 Domain.

Also, we are using exchange 5.5 and going to migrate them to exchange
2000 (after the migration of windows 2000). That why we need to set the
exchange server (BDC) to join the new wins 2000 domain to keep the
email services.

I think that you will need to rethink this. You should keep the
Exch5.5/BDC in the NT4 Domain initially (because it is a BDC). You
should be able to access it from the Win2K Domain. I'm not clear on
this. This needs further research. If you join the BDC to the Win2K
domain it will not stay a BDC.

You could migrate the PDC of the Domain to Win2k, move the Ex5.5 to a
member server, then upgrade the BDC and move the Ex5.5 back. This is
similar to what I did.

By the way how can we migrate the user account and password from NT 4.0
domain into Wins 2000 AD? We tried the ADMT but it alway display "your
domain is not Native mode".

The target Domain must be in native mode. It is probably in mixed
mode.

I think that you probably need to get a deeper understanding of
Win2K/AD and how to migrate from NT4. and what happens to PDC/BDC
during the upgrade process. I spent a lot of time in research and
ended up with about 1/2 cm of notes before I did my upgrade, and I had
a simpler setup than you!

Did I mention backups, backups and more backups?? <grin>

Cheers,

Cliff