2003 as stand alone server 3

[13175a]

We are still running Windows NT as our server. We are thinking of, moving to windows 2003 servers. Our setup is we have small group of users in different countries, none of this offices are connected each other. Every office have there own NT server, (as their own domain). All this office has a circuit coming to one of our main router that provides them the internet access. All the users on the particular office logging to that server, In Washington, Dc our HO we have a large network, with Novell, Microsoft etc. We would like to keep the settings as it is, but we want to replace the NT servers with Windows 2003 servers. I installed a 2003 server and playing with that, by going through the Microsoft my understanding is that, Without installing active directory, the users will not able to login to the 2003 server. I am kind of confused, I would like to know is it possible to have a 2003 server installed, the same way we are using the NT server. Do we need to have the active directory activated?

 

[aftertaf]

active directory is what enables 2000/2003 to be a domain controller.....

it can be a member of your nt4 domain and not be a domain controller, but if you want to replace your NT4 PDC & BDCs, you'll have to do it by migrating in some way to active directory.



Aftertaf

"Resolve is never stronger than the night before it was never weaker

 

[13175a]

So I have to have Active directory, that is the only way its goign to work ( user login)?. Is that right?

 

[Dmasch]

No, you can install it as a member server and connect the client machines to shares on the server w/o Active Directory.

 

[aftertaf]

if you want a domain 'like NT', yep.

users can log in locally, but you'll have to create each account on each machine... which is also why domains are good

Aftertaf

"Resolve is never stronger than the night before it was never weaker

 

[13175a]

I think the way I ask the question is wrong. We have NT server as a domain. The users start the workstations, they get the login prompt to log to the NT server. That is the setup. I install the 2003, with out the AD, and I try to join a workstation to that server, like I do with our NT server, I am not able to do that. But I am able to see the 2003 as another machine on the network, form the workstation and I double click on that, it will prompt for a user id and password, and I am able to share the file. This is not I am looking for. I want to login directly to the server, is that possible?

 

[Castor66]

Configure your 2003 server as a member server of the current domain running DNS. Then upgrade the domain to Active directory so that the 2003 server takes over the management of the domain. Transfer all shares, printers and permissions across to the new server so that this new server does everything. Remove the original server from the Active Directory. This would save you having to set up all your clients again - not the prettiest way of doing things but it works.

All you are really doing is going from a domain to an AD. You will still manage the servers like you would a domain. It's different but the same, if you get my drift.

A tip : configure the local DNS in each office to be mutually exclusive of the other offices. If your company is called ACME and you have offices in New York, New Jersey and Miami then set the domain suffix for each of the offices to be: newyork.acme.local, newjersey.acme.local and miami.acme.local. This will make life SOOOOOO much easier if you choose to join everything together at a later date.