Help adding a new server into network......

[Guest_imported]

Here's my situation: my company has an older NT 4.0 Server now, and we just purchased a new server. What we would like to do is mover everything over to that new server and just use the older one as a print server or file server. What would be the easiest way to set this up? Do we need to create a totally separate domain for this?

Thanks for the help.

 

[andykg]

The only way you can have the old server as a member server is to reinstall NT server. Best thing to do is install the new server as the BDC then promote it to be the PDC. Or you could just have the old server as a PDC to authenticate users and copy all data to the new BDC server.

 

[andykg]

I forgot to ask if the old server was a PDC or a BDC or simply a member server.

 

[french44]

I'm not quite sure, it's either a PDC or a member server. Is there an easy way to tell? How do you upgrade from a BDC to a PDC?

 

[Jpoandl]

On the server, goto START -> RUN

Now type: SRVMGR

Server Manager should launch and you will see a list of machines. (It sounds like you have a small environment so I won't tell you how to sort.)

Anyway, you should see your servers. It will tell you here whether it is a PDC or BDC. (It will say PRIMARY or BACKUP under TYPE.)

You can look at server individually by running SRVMGR \\server at the RUN command.

**********************

Only one PDC can exist. So if you want to change roles, you will have to use SERVER MANAGER to promote a BDC to a PDC.
Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

http://www.esavio.com

 

[french44]

We decided to just make the new server act as an additional server. So all we should have to do is add it to the workgroup and we should be able to access it, right? Is there anything we have to do with the old server to be able to map drives to the new one?

 

[Jpoandl]

No. It should be pretty easy.

It sounds like you don't even have a domain. If you look at your TCP/IP properties (Right click Network Neighborhood --> Choose Properties. Does it say workgroup or DOMAIN = DOMAIN NAME?

Either way do this:

1) Build a new NT server
2) If using TCP/IP protocol make sure that your IP addresses are similar. Make sure that the new IP is on the same subnet as your original server (unless you have a switched environment. It seems like you just have a few computers..so I am going to assume you have a hub or something to connect all of the computers together. Just make the IP address similar...just change the last number by one. For example if you have 10.10.10.1 for your original server. Use 10.10.10.2 for your new server. Make all of the other TCP/IP setting the same as compared to your original computer.

If your are just using NetBuie, it will autoconfigure itself.

3) If you have a domain, your will have to join this domain. On the new server, Right click Network Neighborhood --> Choose Properties -> Choose CHANGE. Its pretty self explainitory here. Plus, I think you just have a workgroup setup. If you just have a workgroup make sure that this new server is set up to be in the same workgroup. Many people just leave the workgroup name as WORKGROUP.

That's it...let us know how you make out. Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

http://www.esavio.com

 

[french44]

I now have the new server on the network, and I can see both servers on Network Neighborhood. Do you have to put each user in the new server also? When testing, I noticed that I could not get into it without setting up myself as a user. Is that the only way to do it, or is there a way to use the PDC's user's list? They bought the server from Dell, and I'm beginning to wonder if they told them to set it up as a PDC from the factory or something. Could that be the case?

 

[Jpoandl]

No...dell wouldn't set it up as a PDC. Did you run Server Manager on the existing server? What did you find out? Is it a domain controller?

Do this:

1) On the pre-existing server. Right Click NetWork Neigboorhood. Choose PROPERTIES. Please tell me what is listed. You should have SERVER NAME (I don't need to know this) and DOMAIN ....what is listed for domain?


If you find out that you have a domain. (You really shouldn't be working on NT Server if you don't even know if you have a domain.) You should join the new server to the domain. On the new server, Right click Network Neighborhood --> Choose Properties -> Choose CHANGE. Its pretty self explainitory from here. Enter the name of you domain and enter the administrative username and password to create the machine account.

If you don't have a domain, you will either have to set up individual user accounts on the new server. Or you can enable the GUEST account.

-hope this helps.
Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

http://www.esavio.com

 

[french44]

I know I have a domain, I didn't know if I had to set it up as a member of that domain or the workgroup. But the way it sounds I need to set it up under the domain. Does that mean everyone will be able to access it right away, or am I going to have to setup user accounts on that machine also?

 

[Jpoandl]

Once you join the domain, all of the users of that domain will potentially have access to the server.

You will have to set up SHARES so that users can easily gain access to the data on the server.

You may also have to set up NTFS permissions if security is a concern.

--hope this helps Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2000

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please check out

http://www.esavio.com