Remove PDC and add a member server to another domain 1

[cwissy]

Can anyone tell me how to do this? We have just set up a new domain and want to add old domain servers to the new domain. The old is server2000 the new is server2003.

 

[mlichstein]

Your post is very brief, but do you want to join a machine from another domain to your new domain? What type of server is it, member server, DC?

 

[cwissy]

The servers want to join to my 'new' domain are on another domain at the present, one is a PDC the other I presume the BDC, its a server2000 domain. The new domain is a server2003 domain. I want to join the old servers as domain controllers to the new domain, does this make sense, sorry new to MS networking worked with Novell for 15 years

 

[mlichstein]

Ok, thats a little clearer, but still need more info. Are the servers on the old domain both Windows 2000? If they are, there is no PDC and BDC. Those terms only apply to NT domain controllers.

If it is an NT PDC, you can't join it to the new domain without rebuilding it as a member server. Same goes for an NT BDC.

If they are 2000 domain controllers, you would first need to demote them to remove the old Active Directory domain from them. This is done with the dcpromo wizard. You can then either run the dcpromo wizard again and join the servers to the new domain as additional domain controllers, or just join them to the new domain as member servers.

 

[cwissy]

You are correct in saying they are both server2000 servers. I have tried using dcpromo and I get the message that 'failed finding suitable domain controller for the domain, the specified domain either does not exist or cannot be contacted' I can ping the other domain controller by name and by IP and I can ping the one I am using dcpromo on, from the other one by name and IP. Any ideas?

 

[mlichstein]

Are these 2000 servers the only domain controllers in the old domain? Are you planning on keeping the old domain around at all?

If not, you can run dcpromo with the /forceremoval switch to forcibly remove AD from the two servers. If these two servers are the only ones hosting the domain, and the domain is going away, a graceful demotion isn't really critical.

 

[cwissy]

Thanks.