2000 server to 2003 server migration

[q2418130103p]

hello, ive got a situacion where i have a 2000 server running th usual services, AD, wins, dhcp, dns.

What i have to do is replace this erver with a brand new dell poweredge with 2003 server on it. then i have to create a bdc for the new 2003 server macine on another new dell poweredge.

my question is about migrating form the 2000 server to the 2003 server. i was thikning about installed teh new 2003 server as a BDC for the existing 2000 server, then removing the 2000 server and promoting the 2003 server. but i wasnt posotive if I could do this, nor was i posotive about the steps to do it. i understand hwo to do it theoreticly, but i dont know where i have to make all the changes, and how i know everything has been snchyonized, or whether dhcp dns and most imporatntly AD will come along for the ride.

can anyone help me out with this?

[faulkner132]

From experience, I have always found it safer - and faster - to just build the new machine on a different network, take the other server down for a few hours while you backup from the old and restore to the new.

Moving AD server is a pain... you usually have to re-create some of the profiles on your user's machines. Everything else should be pretty straight-foward though.

[q2418130103p]

if i build a new network for it i will also have to remove and rejoin the 25 computers in the building from the domain, on account of the domain SID which will be different. correct?

how would i go about trasnfering the AD, aside from manually.

[dm9719]

Hello all. If I understand the scenario correctly, the desired end-result is to have 2 brand-new dell poweredge servers running Server 2003, and both being Domain Controllers in the Active Directory domain which was originally running on the 2000 server. If so, this is how I would proceed (assuming also that there is currently only 1 2000 DC):

- Upgrade the old 2000 DC to 2003. Your AD is now 2K3.
- Install 2003 (if not already done) on each of the new Dells, and join each to the existing Domain.
- run dcpromo on each of the Dells, and configure them to be new DCs in your existing Doman. During the dcpromo process, a copy of your existing AD will be replicated to each of the new DCs. Reboot each DC when prompted.
- Transfer the 5 FSMO roles from the original 2000/2003 DC to either of the 2 Dells. Or you can split the roles up between the 2 Dells - as long as they're off the old 2000/2003 DC.
-run dcpromo on the 2000/2003 DC to remove the Active Directory.

Once you move the other network services off the old server, you can safely decom it.

There will be no need to rejoin any workstations to the Domain.

Hope this helps

Dave

[q2418130103p]

thanx, thats a great plan and is what i intially hoped to do, but after i poked around the existing network i found so many problems that i had to start over.

o yeah... and right before i was about to just do what you mentioned, they people told me about an old exchange 2000 installation they had on the server that stoped functioning then got errors while removing..... i didnt dare try moving active directory after they told me that.


thanx for the help,
jay

[dm9719]

Here's a Microsoft article on how to manually remove a failed Exchange 2000 installation:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=260378

[q2418130103p]

i seem to have run into another issue.

the servers both have 2 nics. on the main server i disabled one of the nics, but on the other i had left it enabled.

i installed the second server with a secondary dns and active directory support also. but now the server hangs on Apply settings.... until i unplug the ethernet cable....

so i disabled the nic and now i cant get the thing to boot past applying settings at all (ps, i dont have apc chute installed).

also, after this happened, my primary server deleted its own forward zone.