Re: Validation for 2000 to 2003 upgrade

Thank you Meinolf for all the good information.

Concerning the Exchange attribute in schema that will get duplicate during
the forestprep. I could follow the scenario 2 Step but i'm wondering.

We won't use Exchange anymore on our domain, should i look to completely
remove it from schema instead of preparing it so it will upgrade to 2003?

I don't want to have to run the adprep from the exchange server cdrom before
upgrading... In fact i don't have any media for Exchange 2003.

Thank you,


--
Guillaume Genest
Network Administrator


"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:

Hello Guillaume,

You're plan sounds ok. Some basic points now, that you have to keep in mind.

Upgrading takes time and should be done in times with lower user activity
if possible.

NT4 member servers will coexist, even with 2008.

Exchange, even if you will remove the server from the domain the schema is
and will stay changed so you have to check this one:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=314649

Inplace upgrade will work without problem from 2000 to 2003, if you like
to do it that way. Instead of doing an inplace upgrade from the 2000 DC's,
i prefer to add a fresh installed 2003 member to the domain and promote it
as additional DC, move the FSMO roles to it, make it Global catalog and DNS
server. This way you can be sure no old installation parts are interfere
with the 2003 DC.

You can NOT do an inplace upgrade from a 2000 DC to a 2008 DC, therefore
you have to add the 2008 as a member to the domain and promote it as additional
DC. You don't have to go over 2003 to 2008, not needed.

Also check on all DC's that they are healthy and that replication is working,
therefore install the support\tools\suptools.msi from the 2000/2003 installation
disk and run "dcdiag /v", "netdiag /v" and "repadmin /showrepl" from a command
prompt on all DC's. Also you can start "replmon" from the run line, a GUI
based tool to check replication.

For DNS i would switch to AD integrated zones, if not done, so all DC/DNS
servers are writable and have the same DNS information through AD replication.

You're steps:
1.
- exchange has to be removed BEFORE demoting
- if you remove exchange, as told before the schema changes will stay, no
problem if you check/change with the article above.
- if you demote a domain controller and it works correct, the AD database
will be cleaned from it
- always give time for replication of that to the other DC's after such major
steps
- demoting a DC will not delete it from AD sites and services, you have to
do it manual
- also you have to check all zones in DNS and the DNS server list that the
server is cleared if it was DNS server
- no need for using ADSIedit

2.
- the adprep /forestprep command you have to run on the schema master for
the schema change to version 30(2003) or if you use 2003 R2 to version 31
from the second R2 disk
- the adprep /domainprep command you have to run on the infrastructure master
after adprep /forestprep command has been run succesful, also give time for
replication
- also see here about http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755958.aspx
- if you think about 2008 you should also run adprep /rodcprep which prepare
for read-only domain controllers http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731728.aspx
- all adprep commands has to run from the newer OS version installation disk
on the appropriate DC which has the needed FSMO role, check with "netdom
query fsmo" from a command prompt

3.
- ok, make sure the changes are all replicated to the other DC's with the
tools above


Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
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Hi,
Here is our situation, we have a windows 2000 Mixed mode Active
Directory, on 4 physical site. We also have Microsoft Exchange 2000
but it is
no longer use, we use Lotus Domino. The 5 FSMO role are on 2 DC
located in the main site data center. we have 1 DC on each site, for a
total of 5. The Exchange server is located on another machine. all DC
are Windows 2000 SP4, we only have one remaining member server which
is NT4. This server won't be needed anymore after april 15.

My goal are:
- Get rid of the Exchange server.
- Upgrade to AD Scheme 2003.
- Upgrade the two main DC (the one with FSMO) to Win 2003.
- Upgrade later the remaining DC to 2003.
1) Get rid of Exchange Server
- Backup the server
- Uninstall Exchange using the Wizard add/remove program.
- Use DCPromo to Demote the server to Member server (not sure it
is, the
server appear in Site and Service, do i need to demote it?)
- Remove the server from the domain.
- Check with ADSI Edit if anything referring to the Exchange
server and
delete it?
2) - Upgrade to AD 2003.
- Had previously set the domain to native mode.
- Backup all system state of all dc.
- Use the PDC DC with Windows 2003 CDROM.
- DCPromo /ForestPrep
- DCPromo /DomainPrep
- Do i have to upgrade this Machine using the Win 2003
CDROM, or
can i use a Windows 2003 Member server, do DCPromo and then move the
FSMO
Role to this server?

3) Upgrade the remaining DC.
- I will replace the old DC with new machine, so i will simply
add new
DC from Windows 2003 Member server and demote old one.
Should i consider Windows Active directory 2008, is it safer to do the
step to the AD 2003 before upgrading to 2008?

Is there any catch up that can bring a crash that i should look before
proceeding witht the upgrade?

Thank you.




.

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