Upgrading NT4 Domain to 2K Domain with Active Directory Ideas needed...

[Santa]

I know of the common way with Microsoft supports and explains how to do. This being the converting the NT4 Domain's PDC to Windows 2000 Server running Active Directory.

Another way I have heard of perhaps doing a network upgrade (especially in our case since we want to change domains, switching from static to dynamic IPs, changing the user account names to be more robust and flexible, ect..) is to create another domain on the network starting with a Windows 2000 Server w/ active directory then trusting it both ways to the current NT4 Domain.

I was wondering if anyone has ever given this method a try and whether it is more hassle than it is worth?

We are eventually going to go from real world IPs (static also) to NATed Dynamic IPs supplied by a DHCP server.
Currently we run WINS, DNS, and some DHCP on the current NT4 Domain but once we are going to convert we saw a prime opportunity to fix the mistakes our past Network implementors created when we first put up our current standard.

Any other Ideas for upgrading are welcome or just comments on the ones I have put up are also helpful

Thanks in advance.

 

[Woodie]

In the middle of migration (almost 2 years of W2K now)...

Don't upgrade existing domain...build a new "forest", and create the two-way trusts. Well worth the hassle .

There have been a few related threads..search for one started by "Emperor " somebody.

Build the new forest, with it's own DNS, and its own DNS namespace. Add in a W2K based DHCP server with updates to the DNS, and add in WINS for W2K (no, you can't quite kill the damn thing yet.)

Migrate users from NT4 to W2K domain as you can. Use some kind of automated process to add & delete users, with a standard naming convention, since this will tie in to email eventually.

"Opportunity to fix.." Yes, this is an opportunity, and the best one for a while. The move from NT4 to W2K is a big shift, and will take a lot of learning. Remember: The "trees" in the "forest" all grow in the dirt that is TCP/IP.

--Woodie

 

[Santa]

I like the metaphor woody hehe TCP/IP dirt

Looks like since we aren't going to get a chance to migrate all workstations to 2K we are also resurrecting the WINS monster in our next network. blah

Glad to hear that the idea of raising a domain up from scratch is a good idea for this was one method I was leaning twords.

 

[Vegito]

I did an upgrade and HATE IT. I did a crash upgrade, was allow 4 days, a 4 day weekend earlier this year..

2 SQL
2 Exchange 5.5
1 PDC W/File

Upgrade two SQL from NT4 to W2K, then upgrade to SQL 2000
Upgrade E5.5 from NT4 to W2K, then make sure E5.5 under W2k works well
Upgrade PDC NT4 to W2K Server
Upgrade E5.5 on W2K to E2K on W2K

It's better off stripping all the server and do a FRESH install with SP2 now that it's out but thats a lot of work too.. ie especially Exchange !!!

SQL you can dump the database onto a file and rebuilt SQL server and restore the dump

Exchange is associated with user, I'm still trying to figure that one out because I'll be dumping the mail and changing to a faster machine w/o using replication methods...

I can dump all the online folders to a PST file and copy them back, which kinda suck or back them up and restore them which takes time too..

Either way, make sure they give you a lot of time...

 

[Vegito]

One thing you might consider is GHOST all the machines or ghost your PDC to anothe similar machine, unplugg it from the network and upgrade that machine to W2K to make sure it works but DONT plug it back in, or the NT server will get confuse and nuke that machine if it upgrades well... good luck..

 

[Santa]

Time? huum thats a mythical creature not known in the business world.
You got a whole 4 days wow lucky you.

We have 2.5 days lol Friday night and through the weekend.

Hence I am leaning twords the raising of a second domain before hand and just migrating email and the likes over without having to worry about interconnectivity between the NT4 domain and the 2000 domain and replicating blah blah blah.

Now if I were to be able to capture this mythical creature called time and hold it in a bottle I would definatly want to learn and pursue the NT4 direct conversion but huum anyone know where I can find this so called time unicorn

btw: I couldn't find any posts by anyone named Emporer anything.. tried like 6-7 differnt users from both current and past postings.. you wouldn't happen to have a link would you woodie?

 

[Woodie]

Other threads...

Latest thread

Earlier (shorter) thread

Upgrading to W2K & Exchange??!! That's got to be painful. We still have at least another 6 months before we start migrating real users to Exchange (2000 on W2K). And we've had W2K for 2 years in pilot/production!

The joys of running small shops

You can allow NT4 workstations to join the W2K domain, but you won't be able to use (GPO) policies, etc...Build your domain/forest, create the trust, and then get your users to start using the W2K domain for authentication. (you'll have to reACL stuff in the NT4 world.) This way you can upgrade workstations when you get to it, but at least all the user administration can be done in one place. Then, as you upgrade the workstations, you can change their network settings to your new standard.

--Woodie

--Woodie

 

[Vegito]

Hey lucky you, I upgraded exchange blind, no trial, no pilot, i'm just lucky that it worked. Yeah, small shop is good... but I also have this dude VPN out to seattle for our other servers.. now we're trading the 4 servers in for 1U server with a terrabyte of fibre SAN array...

These QLogic 2200 cards are a rip!

 

[Santa]

We aren't planning on anything fancy since we are somewhat smaller too 500-1000 users nationwide.

Probably going to just rework the network from the ground up and bring up a pilot Exchange server 2000 on the new network way before converting people to it.

I couldn't imagine having to fly blind on an Exchange upgrade ouch. The horror one could face when President's email doesn't work anymore.

The thread you listed was very informative.. thanks again Woodie