NT to windows 2000 AD help

[Donnie Barnes]

Here is our environment. We have an NT
domain called "Imaging" Our "Imaging" Domain is our
main domain that all our users logon to. We would like to
upgrade our Domain to windows 2000 AD mixed mode. We
would like the new Domain to be called lets just
say "LAFB.com". We already have a Windows 2000 AD mixed
mode Tree that is called "LAFB.com". How would it be
possible to upgrade the "Imaging" Domain to windows 2000
and transfer their users to the "LAFB.com"? We need to
be able to keep these user logons otherwise we would have
to visit hundreds of computer at remote sites all around
our state.

Here is where I am at
I have created a new Windows NT BDC for the "imaging"
domain since the "imaging" NT PDC is too old to upgrade.

Now How would I migrate the NT imaging domain users to
the LAFB.com windows 2000 AD domain? Do I upgrade the
New BDC to windows 2000 then? Kinda lost at this point.
I cannot make the LAFB.com in Native mode since we talk
to other NT DC's.

I would apprecaite your help greatly.

 

[Enkidu]

Here is our environment. We have an NT
domain called "Imaging" Our "Imaging" Domain is our
main domain that all our users logon to. We would like to
upgrade our Domain to windows 2000 AD mixed mode. We
would like the new Domain to be called lets just
say "LAFB.com". We already have a Windows 2000 AD mixed
mode Tree that is called "LAFB.com". How would it be
possible to upgrade the "Imaging" Domain to windows 2000
and transfer their users to the "LAFB.com"? We need to
be able to keep these user logons otherwise we would have
to visit hundreds of computer at remote sites all around
our state.

Here is where I am at
I have created a new Windows NT BDC for the "imaging"
domain since the "imaging" NT PDC is too old to upgrade.

Now How would I migrate the NT imaging domain users to
the LAFB.com windows 2000 AD domain? Do I upgrade the
New BDC to windows 2000 then? Kinda lost at this point.
I cannot make the LAFB.com in Native mode since we talk
to other NT DC's.

I would apprecaite your help greatly.

You switch to native mode *after* you've upgraded. I'm pretty sure
that there is no way to do it *while* you upgrade.

The way to upgrade in place is to make a suitable machine into the NT
PDC by promoting it. Then upgrade it to Win2000.

I'm not sure about the Domain Name, but it sounds OK. In mixed mode
you have an NT style Domain Name and a Windows 2000 Domain Name and I
believe that they don't have to be similar. Anyone know for sure?

Cheers,

Cliff

(MVP)

 

[Mike Aubert]

Cliff - The NetBIOS name and DNS name of the domain don't have to be similar
(although using similar names saves on confusion). Also, a Windows Server
2000/2003 domain always has both types of names - regardless of what mode
the domain is at (this allows older NT/9x clients to access the domain). I
hope that clears it up!

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MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA
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[Mike Aubert]

Hi Donnie,

In your situation there are two options I can see:

- Upgrade the Imaging domain's PDC to Windows 2000 Server (in your case,
make the new BDC you created the PDC for the domain first). When you perform
the upgrade you will be given the option to start a new forest or join an
existing forest. You can then join the forest as a child domain - such as
Imaging.LAFB.com. You can not, however, join to an existing domain - you
have to create a new domain in the forest. So this does not exactly give you
the results you are looking for. However, you don't have to deal with issues
like rejoining computer accounts.

- Upgrade the LAFB.com domain to native mode. Use the Active Directory
Migration Tool (ADMT) to migrate users. Abandon the Imaging domain. Now, you
can upgrade LAFB.com to native mode as long as LAFB.com _itself_ does not
contain NT 4.0 BDCs. You can still communicate with NT 4.0 Workstations in
the domain and Windows NT 4.0 BDCs in _other_ domains. (I'm not real sure
what you mean by "we talk to other NT DC's.") This solution gives the result
you are asking for - you end up with a single domain called LAFB.com.
However, this solution requires you deal with issues like rejoining computer
accounts (in addition to the native mode requirement).

Mike

------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Aubert
MCSE, MCSD, MCDBA
(e-mail address removed)

Note the "news2" in my email address is temporary and may be changed in the
future, remove it to email me at my Permanente address.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.