Promoting a member server to PDC - advice

[Dejan]

Hi,

I need an advice on how to organize my Windows 2000 servers in domain.
I have a simplest Win2000 domain (no trees, about 150 users). Since I
have been purchasing the servers one by one during the last few years,
now I have a situtation like this (that probably needs a change):

1. My first server was PDC/Oracle/File server (server1)
2. My second server was BDC/Exchange 2000 server (server2)
3. My third server was a member server/ISA/File server (server3)
4. Now I have purchased a fourth server that should be file server
(server 4) only.

My question is, what si the best AD scenario to use? What is the most
simple and secure way to promote/demote the servers (since I haven't
done it before)?

I would appreciate any advice.

Thanks very much

regards, dejan

 

[Enkidu]

I need an advice on how to organize my Windows 2000
servers in domain. I have a simplest Win2000 domain (no
trees, about 150 users). Since I have been purchasing the
servers one by one during the last few years, now I have
a situtation like this (that probably needs a change):

1. My first server was PDC/Oracle/File server (server1)
2. My second server was BDC/Exchange 2000 server
(server2) 3. My third server was a member server/ISA/File
server (server3) 4. Now I have purchased a fourth server
that should be file server (server 4) only.

My question is, what si the best AD scenario to use? What
is the most simple and secure way to promote/demote the
servers (since I haven't done it before)?

Firstly, in Windows 2000 Active directory Domain, all DCs
are equal. There is no concept of PDC or BDC, although there
is such as beast as a "PDC emulator" and not all DCs are
created equal.

You have two DCs (server 1 and server 2). This is probably
enough for a four server setup. So you probably don't need
to do anything. What makes you think that you should?

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Dejan]

Enkidu je napisao/la:

Firstly, in Windows 2000 Active directory Domain, all DCs
are equal. There is no concept of PDC or BDC, although there
is such as beast as a "PDC emulator" and not all DCs are
created equal.

You have two DCs (server 1 and server 2). This is probably
enough for a four server setup. So you probably don't need
to do anything. What makes you think that you should?

Well, I thought it was not reasonable for my Oracle server (that is my
main application server) acts as a DC...also I have read Exchange
server shouldn't be a DC if possible...

dejan

 

[Enkidu]

Enkidu je napisao/la:


Well, I thought it was not reasonable for my Oracle server (that is my
main application server) acts as a DC...also I have read Exchange
server shouldn't be a DC if possible...

Ah, OK, I see. Well, it's not a bad setup you have, but if
you would like to follow the recommendations, then you could
add server 4 as a member server, install Exchange on it and
migrate the user accounts to it. Then when *all* accounts
and public folders and system folders have been migrated you
could de-install Exchange from the DC. Lot's of research
needed though, since the original Exchange Server is the
first in the Domain. I've done this, in a similar size
organisation, and it's not an enormous task, though the
research needs to be done (on www.microsoft.com, mainly).

You could also look at migrating the Oracle server to a
member server, but I'd not risk recommending how you could
do that one.

Then you'd have 2 DCs and 2 member servers. It is maybe not
a good idea to have the ISA server as also a file server, so
I'd look at moving the data off it. Then you'd have two DCs,
one Database server/Exchange server, one ISA server. I'd be
inclined to use the DCs for F&P until you can justify a
dedicated File and Print server. I'd look at eventually
splitting the Database/Exchange server.

But, basically, I can only give you my opinion. Yes, get the
Exchange off the DC. Yes, get the data off the ISA server
(for security reasons, mainly), but all else is just a
juggling act, and only you can really decide what is
important to your people.

Cheers,

Cliff

 

[Dejan]

Thanks Cliff very much,

As I can see, I find it pretty risky to do all this by myself. Oracle
server has to be available all the time, Exchange server too. Since
Exchange Server is now used only for the mailing, I don't think it is
the problem for it to remain being a DC. I was only thinking that
migrating a DC to the newest File server is better than PDC be on
Oracle. And I shall do the changes only if I can sure I can do it over
the weekend (when none is working). It seems at this moment I am not
sure it is so simple...

dejan