Hardware Migration 2000 server to 2003

[jfp23]

My AD Tree has 2 domain controllers that are Windows 2000 and I have one 2003 server that is my Exchange server but it is just a member, for some reason when it was added (prior to my starting here) it was not made a domain controller to upgrade the domain from 2000 to 2003. I am going to be replacing the hardware for one of my domain controllers and going to Windows 2003 in the process. Should I run DC promo on the existing 2003 member server first and make it a domain controller prior to this, and than add the new windows 2003 server, and make that a second domain controller, my data on the existing file server is on an external storage array that I will just be connecting to this new server. or is there a better strategy to do this? I have been in Netware environments for the last 7 years so I haven't had to do to many Windows AD migrations.

thanks for any help

 

[Roadki11]

You do not ever want to put exchange on a domain controller so dont dcpromo that box. bring the new 2k3 server up and make that a DC then transfer the FSMO roles and GC from the 2k DC to the 2k3 DC. you will need to run adprep and forestprep on the 2k DC's prior to dcpromo on the new 2k3 box. if its 2k3 R2 you will use the 2nd cd in the media set to do that.

RoadKi11