Mixed 2000 and 2003 domain controllers

[alxgdwnds]

Dear Forum users, I would like to ask you a few suggestions about my problem.

The company for which I work has a single Windows 2000 Server domain with multiple sites (because of remote office branches). We acquired a small company which runs a Windows Server 2003 without a domain (only a workgroup).

I would like the new company to become a new remote site of my domain. The problem is that I do not want to convert my 2000 domain to 2003 because we use terminal services and I do not want to pay for a lot of TS-CAL. I would like the 2000 domain controller to remain the FSMO of the domain.

The question is: can I make the 2003 Server a domain controller for the remote site (can a domain be made of mixed 2000 and 2003 controllers)? If I do that will I continue to use 2000-style ts-cal?

Is there a document over the internet describing the procedure to follow?

Best regards

Alessandro

 

[dberg35]

Yes it does work I have a 2000 & 2003 server running Terminal Services. You have to make the 2003 server a DC also and run sysprep on all 2000 servers to get all to replicate correctly.

 

[alxgdwnds]

Thank you so much. Just to recap the steps:

1. I run a dcpromo on the 2003 server to add it to the 2000 domain
2. I go to the 2000 server (FSMO) and run a sysprep on it? I beg your pardon but what does sysprep exactly do?

Reagrds.

Alessandro

 

[dberg35]

It basicly makes it so that the 2000 AD will be capatible with the 2003. Ops it isn't sysprep...it has been a while since I did this. I will look it up and get back to you.

 

[dberg35]

Ok this should help.

Put the Windows 2003 Server CD in your Master Schema W2K domain controller and copy the I386 directory somewhere on a local drive.

* Run the following steps with minimal activity on the server.

Open a command prompt and switch to that I386 directory.

Type:
adprep /forestprep
It will prompt you to press C then ENTER to continue.
Let this run. It took about 10 minutes for me. You'll see several "command completed successfully" messages along with dots going across the screen.

Next, wait about 20 minutes and type"
adprep /domainprep
It won't prompt you for anything. It will just do its thing (It took 2 minutes for me)

You are now ready to add your 2003 domain controller to the 2000 domain. On your 2003 server, run the Active Directory wizard as needed for your domain.

Hope this helps!

 

[alxgdwnds]

Thank you for your suggestion.

I've read a few articles on the net and I've found that the procedure you've described is used on Windows 2000 Server machines that are to be upgraded to Windows Server 2003. Are you sure it is needed if you are not going to upgrade the server OS but just want to add a second domain controller with the newer OS?

Best regards.

Alessandro

 

[dberg35]

That is what I did when I upgraded one from 2000 to 2003 and had to run that on the server that I didn't upgrade.

 

[alxgdwnds]

I will follow your suggestion.

Thanks.

Alessandro

 

[Davetoo]

You have to run the adprep/forestprep on your schema master, and then adprep/domainprep in any domain that you will bring a 2003 DC into before DCPROMO'ing the 2003 server into your domain.

If your 2003 server is R2, be sure to run these commands using the 2nd CD from the 2003 server install discs.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[Seaspray0]

The purpose of the adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep is to make additions to the schema and replication methods that are used by 2003 domain controllers. Since you are retaining 2000 DC's, your forest will still operate in 2000 mode. You are not required to move any FSMO roles. You must run adprep /forestprep once for the forest changes; you are only required to run adprep /domainprep on the domain that will receive 2003 DC's, but it's not a bad idea to do all the domains in the forest now. 2003 will let you know if the forest or domain is not prepared prior to promoting to a domain controller and stop before any damage is done. The process is simple and I've not heard of anyone experiencing issues with reguards to this.

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