Windows 2000 Advanced Server as a PDC

[Guest]

I'm want to install Windows 2000 Advanced Server on a fresh machine. How do I make that computer the PDC in a Domain that already exists because the machine I have now is a lease end and needs to go back to the leasing company?

 

[Gino]

Well the short of it is you type dcpromo in the run box and click ok. But
Domain Controllers can be a hand full to say the least. First off in W2K
domains there is no PDC, BDC architecture. Every domain controller has a
write copy of the directory. If you have one DC now, that DC is what is
known as the forest root, and it has the only copy of the Global Catalogue.
Also it has the five speacial roles that must exist that are known as FSMO
or rollmasters. Also the existing DC is running the DNS service it has the
write copy of the DNS zone and authority for it. If you are going to bring
in another DC and then remove the existing one you are attempting to do one
of the most difficult tasks that a Windows 2000 administrator might have to
do. Also only having one DC for a domain is very very bad. If anything
happens to that DC the forest root of the domain is gone for ever.

I'm want to install Windows 2000 Advanced Server on a fresh machine. How

do I make that computer the PDC in a Domain that already exists because the
machine I have now is a lease end and needs to go back to the leasing
company?

 

[SaltPeter]

I'm want to install Windows 2000 Advanced Server on a fresh machine. How

do I make that computer >the PDC in a Domain that already exists because the
machine I have now is a lease end and needs to go >back to the leasing
company?

That's simple enough, what you do is install + join the new W2K system to
domain, promote it to DC and shift all the FSMO roles from original DC to
new system. Note that a PDC doesn't exist in W2K, however, if you are
operating the W2K architecture in mixed mode, the "PDC emulator" FSMO role
is your backward compatible equivalent of a PDC.

Once new rootDC is up and running and the FSMO roles + GC is transferred,
run dcpromo on old DC to demote it.

HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the Graphical User Interface
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=255690