Re: migrating NT domain to Win2000, tips?

From: Jerome (jherr_at_no.mnhn.spam.lu)
Date: 02/03/04 

Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 13:54:12 +0100

Hi,

After having read these e-mails and also some articles on the Microsoft
site, I just want to know if I've understood everything correctly:

So, since I've only got 1 NT4-PDC and 1 NT4-BDC (and several W2K
stand-alone servers), I just need to upgrade the NT4-PDC to a W2K DC
using the Windows 2000 Server Installation CD? The upgrade will take
care of my user accounts etc? And then I can add the other W2K servers
as W2K DCs as well?

After having upgraded the old PDC to a Win2000 DC and therethrough
having created a W2K domain, do I need to prepare the workstations
somehow or do they recognize the domain transparently?

Sorry for the potentially stupid questions, but thanks anyhow!

Jerome

Enkidu wrote:

> On Mon, 02 Feb 2004 13:19:35 +0100, Jerome <jherr@no.mnhn.spam.lu>
> wrote:
>
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>We started with a Windows NT domain some years ago. Over the time we
>>added new servers (Win2000) but the domain remained NT. I'd like to
>>migrate to a 'real' Win2000 domain now. We've got about 100 PCs.
>>
>>My questions:
>>- What are the biggest challenges and traps when migrating?
>>- What is the best way to do it?
>>- Can I use my stand-alone Win2000 to become sort of PDC (or the Win2k
>>equivalent)?
>>- Are there web sites explaining the migration process?
>>
>>Any help is greatly appreciated!
>>
>
> The best source of information is the Microsoft web site. There is an
> article on that which goes step by step through the process.
>
> You cannot add a Win2000 server as a PDC or BDC in an NT Domain. The
> usual way to migrate is to first upgrade the NT PDC to a Win2000 DC.
> This makes the Domain into a Windows 2000 Active Directory Domain.
> Then you can add additional Win2000 boxes and promote them to DCs. Or
> upgrade the NT BDCs to 2000 DCs.
>
> One of the biggest gotchas is picking the wrong Domain. It is very
> difficult to reverse this - once an AD Domain, always an AD Domain (up
> to a point).
>
> Another way of doing it is to create a seperate Win2000 AD and migrate
> users and services across. That's probably a cleaner way to do it at
> the expense of a bit of complexity.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Cliff

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