NT4 to 2003 w/AD & new servers

[azj]

I'm planning on upgrading my NT4 domain with a PDC & BDC and Exchange
5.5 to a 2003 AD domain with Exchange 2003. I have brand new server
hardware that I would like to move those three machines onto. My NT
Domain name is not the same as my internet-registered domain (lets say
ABC for the NT name and ABCDE.com for the internet domain). It's
important the PDC & BDC computers end up with the same names as before
as they also act as file servers with many shared folders on them.

So far, the only way I've figured out to accomplish this is to do an
in-place upgrade of the PDC and then the BDC. I haven't researched the
Exchange upgrade path yet but I expect I can either do in-place there
or some kind of migration.

The problem is, I like pristine installs and these NT4 controllers are
old anyway. They don't really meet the minimum hardware requirements
(C drive is 2gb DOS/FAT16 partition). Can anyone recommend the best
way to do this migration? So far all I've come up with is something
like using ghost to clone the old boxes onto the new ones, converting
the C drive to NTFS at that point and increasing the partition size to
8gb or so. I'm not even sure I can do that. I'd much prefer a clean
install.

Is it possible to rename my current DC's, create a couple clean 2003
servers as a BDCs with the name of the original PDC & BDC, copy the
folders & files, take the old DC's out of the mix, and bump up to AD?
I expect not, but I have to ask

Thanks in advance
Aaron

 

[Paul Bergson]

See if this helps out at all.

http://www.petri.co.il/windows_2003_domain_controller_rename.htm


--


Paul Bergson MCT, MCSE, MCSA, CNE, CNA, CCA

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

 

[Jorge_de_Almeida_Pinto]

See if this helps out at all.

http://www.petri.co.il/windows_2003_domain_controller_rename.htm


--


Paul Bergson MCT, MCSE, MCSA, CNE, CNA, CCA

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.

Hi,

In your case I would think about the following:

NT4-PDC: NT4DC1
NT4-BDC: NT4DC2
NT4-BDC (extra1): NT4DC3
NT4-BDC (extra2): NT4DC4

* have current and valid backups of all servers!
* install another NT4 BDC (NT4DC3), sync with PDC (NT4DC1) and after
that disconnect from network (as a safety measure) (use can use a
desktop for this)
* install another NT4 BDC (NT4DC4), sync with PDC (NT4DC1) (use can
use a desktop for this).
* promote NT4DC4 to PDC.
* Configure NT4DC4 with NT4Emulator and NeutralizeNT4Emulator registry
key if you already have W2K/WXP/W2K3 clients and/or servers (see
http://www.petri.co.il/first_dc_in_domain_problem.htm and
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=298713)
* Install additional new hardware with W2K3 (as a member server)
W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2.
* Install and configure DNS/WINS on W2K3DC1 or W2K3DC2 or both
* Configure W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2 with NT4Emulator and
NeutralizeNT4Emulator registry key if you already have W2K/WXP/W2K3
clients and/or servers (see
http://www.petri.co.il/first_dc_in_domain_problem.htm and
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=298713)
* Upgrade NT4DC4 to W2K3 DC
* DCPROMO W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2 to DC
* Migrate resources from NT4DC1 and NT4DC2 accordingly to W2K3DC1 and
W2K3DC2
* Transfer GC/FSMO roles to W2K3DC1 and/or W2K3DC2
* demote NT4DC4 using DCPROMO (if DCPROMO fails, kill NT4DC4 and
cleanup its metadata.. see: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216498
* remove NT4DC1 and NT4DC2 from network and cleanup computer accounts
AFTER its resources have been migrated to W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2
* cleanup computer account for NT4DC3
* Remove NT4Emulator and NeutralizeNT4Emulator registry keys from
W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2
* rise the domain functional level and the forest functional level
* rename W2K3DC1 and W2K3DC2 to the computer names of NT4DC1 and
NT4DC2 (see
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...elp/aad1169a-f0d2-47d5-b0ea-989081ce62be.mspx
AND http://support.microsoft.com/?id=316826)

This should help you for your in-place upgrade of the NT4 domain. I
may have missed something so doublecheck!

For E2K3:
* install ADC and connect to AD
* install E2K3 on separate box
* move mailboxes from E55 to E2K3
* Remove E55 (see q-articles on how to do this)

Cheers,

 

[azj]

Don't I have to upgrade my PDC to AD/2003 directly though? The only
other thing I can think of is to install a clean NT on one of the new
boxes & make it a PDC, then upgrade it to 2003

 

[Jorge_de_Almeida_Pinto]

Don't I have to upgrade my PDC to AD/2003 directly though? The
only
other thing I can think of is to install a clean NT on one of
the new
boxes & make it a PDC, then upgrade it to 2003

That is what I suggest also! see steps 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10

However I use an extra computer so that you will not end with one
upgraded DC and one clean installed DC, but with 1 temporary upgraded
DC (the desktop!) and two clean installed w2k3 DCs. After the 2 new
DCs have been installed and configured on the new hardware you remove
the temporary upgraded DC (the desktop)

This way you still get fresh installed DCs (native w2k3 install) while
you upgraded your nt 4 domain

Cheers,

 

[azj]

Thank's for the info Jorge! Your first response didn't make it to
Google groups for some reason, but I read it at
http://www.windowsforumz.com/Active-Directory-NT4-2003-AD-amp-servers-ftopict548754.html
and it looks like exactly what I need to do!