NT4 to Active Directory Domain/Site Migration

[Lee Cox]

I am performing a NT4 domain consolidation into an existing domain
(Company.Int) the NT4 domain will be a Child of the existing AD Domain
(NT4.Company.Int). We are move the office from an existing client site
to our own office and taking over network administration. We have
created a BDC, of the client's domain, as a life boat and promoted it
to PDC, then installed AD on the system. We then installed the real
domain controller on the test network and promoted it to domain
controller and transferred the roles.

My question is how will the workstations react to the AD Domain after
being pulled from the client site? They will be installed in an
entirely new network (with new IP Scheme) connecting to the same Domain
(except it's AD and not NT4). Is there anything from this process that
I should be concerned about?

My thought is that they should come up and see the NetBios Domain the
same as the old and using SID history properly recognize the Network.
The User and Computer Accounts from the old NT4 Domain are present in
the ADUC Console. If a user logins in it should have the same profile
as before correct?

Just looking for someone to check my work. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

If you have taken a BDC from the clients existing NT Domain, promoted it to a
PDC and upgraded in to AD then clients (users and computers) will be able to
authenticate to the AD Domain Controllers as soon as they can see it -
provided it is advertised in WINS (a reason why you cannot change NetBIOS
name during in-place upgrade). SID History does not play a part of the
authentication process - clients are authenticating to the same Domain.
Be aware that once clients have seen the first AD Domain Controller it will
not talk to NT Domain Controllers and can cause piling-on. Also AD Aware
clients cannot use NT Domain Controllers if you decide to roll back (check
out "NT4Emulator"). Once clients are AD Aware they will use DNS to find the
AD Domain Controllers - not WINS (but you will still need to make this
available to you remote offices for legacy applications).
Good Luck with you migration - I am getting ready for a similar migration
strategy (but for 40000 User/Computer objects).