fallback solution for NT 4.0 upgrade

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From: David K (noemail_at_nospam.com)
Date: 08/16/04 

Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2004 05:14:11 GMT

I have an NT 4.0 server I'd like to upgrade to 2000. I also have an
existing 2000 server as the only other server, which is annoying,
since if it were an NT 4.0 server it could hold a replicated copy of
the SAM.

Some relevant elements of the servers are listed further below.

I want to be able to restore my NT server if the upgrade should blow
up in my face. Since I only have 1 working copy of the SAM database, I
need to back it up somehow before the upgrade. I could back up the
entire RAID volume on the NT server to tape, but I don't think I can
do that with this setup because the DLT drive is on the 2000 server. I
do have specific directories on the NT server that BackupExec accesses
via shares, and it also backs up Exchange via the Exchange Agent, but
the SAM database isn't backed up, and I don't even know if that would
do any good if I had to reinstall NT.

Any suggestions? I will consider purchasing a third server if
necessary, to use as an NT BDC in the interim, but that might be
overkill to have three servers after the upgrade, since the only
significant stressors are Exchange and one other enterprise software
package.

2000 Server-
------------------
9GB & 35GB RAID-5 volume, on one set of 3 hdds
Veritas BackupExec
DLT drive, 20/40GB tapes
self-contained enterprise software
shared folders

NT 4.0 Server:
------------------
PDC
30GB RAID-5 volume, 1 logical drive
TCP/IP services
Exchange 5.5

RAID volumes are handled via a hardware RAID controller, not via the
OS.

Thanks,
Dave

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