Adding Win2K Server to NT 4.0 Domain

[owensdj]

I need to add a new Win2K Server machine to an existing Domain with a single, NT 4.0 Server. I'm keeping the NT 4.0 server in the Domain for use as a Backup Domain Controller and some file serving.

Any problems I should watch out for? I think I know how it will all go, but I just want to make sure there are no hitches. Are there any Microsoft Knowledge Base articles or other guides on the Internet available that cover this topic? Thanks for any info you can give me.

 

[stash]

Adding a 2k server to an NT domain is no problem...it just becomes a member server as regular NT servers do. Just dont run dcpromo on the 2k box

Edit: By the way, this probably belongs in the operating systems forum

 

[owensdj]

STaSh, I thought about putting my question into the Operating System forum, but I thought it was more appropriate for Networking since it's not about one particular OS.

Keep in mind that the new Win2K Server will be a Domain Controller, not just a Member Server.

 

[mrzed]

You probably would get better answers on the OS forum IMO, I see lots of domain conversions/promotions etc. questions there. Really it's all about how newer or older versions of NT work together anyhow. Seems kind of OS-ish to me.

I seem to remmber reading in one of those threads that you should switch your NT4 server to BDC before running dcpromo on the 2K box. I've never done it myself, so don't take my word for it.

There's tons of stuff on exactly the sort of thing you are doing on the MS KB here's an example of something to watch out for. You're not the first person to have to do what you are doing.

 

[Saltin]

What is your plan exactly?
The only way to proceed with your plan would be to upgrade your NT 4 PDC to a Windows 2000 DC.
If this is the case, consider configuring a second BDC and taking it off-line. It's the insurance.
Once the upgrade is complete, you wont require a BDC any longer. What you will need is a second 2000 DC for fault tolerance.

 

[owensdj]

Saltin, here's what I plan to do. The NT 4.0 Domain has a single server. I will rename it. Create an entry in Server Manager with the new name. Make the new server account a Backup Domain Controller. Remove the old server name in Server Manager. I'll run DCPROMO to add the new Windows 2000 Server to the existing Domain. I will promote the Win2K Server to a Domain Controller. It will stay in Mixed Mode because the NT 4.0 Server will stay in the Domain as a BDC.

Will this plan work OK? I'm just wondering about adding the Win2K Server into the Domain as a DC. I know that in a native mode Win2K Domain, there aren't Primary and Backup Domain Controllers, just DCs.

 

[Saltin]

No that won't work.

You need to do an inplace upgrade on the BDC in order to move to Active Directory. This is why I recommend having a second BDC configured and off-line during the upgrade. If anything goes wrong, you will have a back-up.

. I'll run DCPROMO to add the new Windows 2000 Server to the existing (NT4) Domain

You can't do that either.

Gear your plan toward upgrading an NT 4 BDC in place to a 2k server with AD. That's the way to do it.

 

[Rainsford]

Actually you can run NT and 2K server as domain controllers in a mixed mode domain. The 2K server will act as an active directory domain controller and it will treat the NT server as a BDC (as long as you don't set the 2K server to run in native mode). You can't have PDC NT Servers, but they can act as BDCs for the 2K active directory server. But there isn't a real reason to do this unless you have 9x computers which don't seem to like AD very much, so they can log in using the NT BDCs.

How to do this? Set up NT Server on your server you want to eventually become the 2K AD server and run it as a BDC. It will replicate from your other NT server (the PDC). Then promote the "new" NT BDC to a PDC. Then upgrade it to 2K server. During this process you won't have a PDC for your domain, so you won't be able to make any changes. But people will still be able to authenticate using your BDC. After the upgrade process, you new server will have the same domain information, it will just be in active directory format and under 2K. The NT server will still act as a BDC and it will treat the 2K server as the PDC. You're now in mixed mode. Let me know if that is a little unclear

Edit: If you don't want to run in mixed mode, just upgrade the NT server (or just get rid of it) and change the 2K server from mixed mode to native mode. Actually, this is what Saltin said, so do that if you have no reason to run in mixed mode.

 

[owensdj]

Thanks Rainsford and Saltin. Those replies go a long way toward answering all of my questions. Sounds like I can bring the new Windows 2000 Server into the Domain in Mixed Mode, then I can go to Native Mode if I upgrade or get rid of the legacy NT 4.0 Server.

I'm wondering what will be the advantages to switching to Native Mode? This is a relatively simple office network with 15 clients with maybe 5 more to be added on. The current NT 4.0 Server just provides file sharing, Domain Control, and DHCP services.

I was thinking of using the legacy NT 4.0 Server for file sharing and as a BDC. I guess I could demote the NT 4.0 Server to a member server so I could switch the Win2K Server to Native Mode, but then the Domain woudn't have a backup for the Domain. It's also possible that the organization might spend the money to get Win2K for the older server.

 

[Rainsford]

If the NT server is up to it, I'd say upgrade to Windows 2000. Two reasons for that. First reason, Windows NT Server must be reinstalled to change from a domain controller (either BDC or PDC) to a simple member server. So if you don't want NT server acting as a domain controller, you'll have to reinstall anyways, so you might as well go with 2K (if your company will pay for it). 2000 can move between domain controller and not without a reinstall. Second reason, in 2003 MS will stop supporting NT, so moving off of that OS now is a good idea in case a move takes longer than you think. So I'd suggest upgrading the NT server to 2000 server, and running it as a domain controller. That way you'd have another domain controller with a supported OS that can also run your other server functions.

If the NT server is too slow to be upgraded (or your company doesn't want to pay for another copy of 2000 server), I'd say just keep it as a BDC (which you'll have to do unless you reinstall). That way your domain will have a backup copy (although I don't believe an NT server has all the information as a BDC of an active directory 2000 server). But with support for NT going out the door in 2003, now might be a good time to upgrade, and that lack of support is a good way to convince the boss too