Re: NT4 Single Label Domain upgrade to Windows Server 2003

From: Sham (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 03/16/04 

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 14:51:13 -0800

     
     ----- Kevin D. Goodknecht [MVP] wrote: -----
     
     In news:2C4907C2-8A83-41A6-BC41-3A3B63EE95F3@microsoft.com,
     Sham <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> posted a question
     Then Kevin replied below:
> I am in the process of upgrading an NT4 single domain to Windows
> Server 2003. The NT4 PDC is also the Primary internal DNS server for
> the NT domain. I have configured a Windows Server 2003 machine as a
> Secondary DNS Server. After reading several of the posts here, I am
> rethinking how I am doing this before installing AD. The NT4 DNS
> Server has a Single label Zone such as ABC with the zone file named
> ABC.dns, what is the best procedure for correcting this in NT before
> proceding with the AD installation on the Windows Server 2003
> machine? Thanks for your help.
     
     If it still has NT4 on the box, in TCP/IP properties, in the domain field
     put in the name you want to use for your AD domain name. such as abc.com or
     abc.local or lan.abc.com, use any name really as long as it has the dot in
     the name. Win2k3 adopts this name as its primary DNS suffix.
     If you have already upgraded to Win2k3 but have not yet DCPROMOed, in the
     System Control panel on the network identification tab you have the option
     to change the DNS suffix of the machine, I'd give you the exact instructions
     but I cannot find them right now. But, you do have the option to change the
     suffix there.
     
     Either of these will change the primary DNS suffix of the Win2k3 or Win2k
     which is pivotal in having an intact Name space.
     
     Once the suffix is set you can then run DCPROMO whether you create the zone
     or not. If you don't DCPROMO will create the correct zone for you using the
     AD Domain name.
     
     
     --
     Best regards,
     Kevin D4 Dad Goodknecht Sr. [MVP]
     Hope This Helps
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Thanks Kevin,

That's very helpful. I do have another question though. Management does not want to do an upgrade per se to W2K3. So I haven't done anything to the old NT4 box. We will be running the NT4 Domain separately from the W2K3 domain until we have all of our client workstations upgraded to W2K Pro. There will be two-way trust created between them, but the NT4 domain will not be part of the W2K3 Forest. As clients pc's are upgraded, each user will get new user accounts and mailboxes on a new Exchange 2003 Server. As far as DNS goes, management only wants one primary internal DNS Server with one zone, and they want it to be the W2K3 server.

Currently the DNS Domain name in the TCP/IP Properties of the NT4 DNS Server looks like this - 'abc.xxx.xxx.xxx'. The zone on the NT4 DNS Server (which is the primary internal DNS Server) is 'abc'. The SOA and NS record both have zone name 'abc' and the Primary Name Server DNS Name as 'host.abc.xxx.xxx.xxx'. When I look at the host names (ptr records) in the reverse lookup zones, they look like 'host.abc.' I was following along with the instructions in KB Article 300468 and successfully transfered the zone file to my secondary DNS Server which is the W2K3 server currently configured as a Secondary DNS server. I have not yet installed Active Directory. When I read the posts on this list, I decided I better find out the best way to fix what could become a huge problem later on, from what I've been reading. So, the question now is...

On the NT4 box, do I need to create a new zone in DNS? Then will I need to change the Domain entry in the DNS tab of the TCP/IP properties page to reflect the newly created zone and add the IP address to be notified?
Then on the W2K3 box, will I need to also create a new Forward Lookup Zone (named the same as the new one on the NT4 DNS server) configured as a Secondary as well?

On a side note, this kind of explains why we were having difficulty with gpo's when we were testing this past summer. Thanks again for your help.

-Sham
     

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Replication issues
    ... I wanted to say Zone Transfers not Zone Forwarding. ... AD-Integrated DNS does not do zone transfers between the ... your DNS server will bypass ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: Windows 2003 DNS Setup for Sub-Domain off of Root
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    (microsoft.public.windows.server.dns)
  • Re: DNS Redesign Issue
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    (microsoft.public.windows.server.dns)
  • Re: DHCP Clients getting DNS lookup failures
    ... It sounds to me like you had a DNS issue but you fixed it, ... The DNS server has encountered a critical error from the Active ... Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly. ... Active Directory for this zone and is unable to load the zone without ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • RE: Domain Upgrade Documentation
    ... these steps on clients: ... The DNS suffix is listed in the "Primary DNS suffix for this ... the forward zone on DNS server and recreate on AD-intergrated zone. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.migration)