Replace NT4 PDC with new W2K Server machine: How?? 1

[snowweb]

We currently have 1 PDC running NT4 (no BDC) but need to replace it with new Dell PowerEdge 2600 Win2K Server.

My problem is that I don't want to lose the user accounts already set up on NT4. I was hoping to upgrade the NT4 machine to Win2K then promote the new machine to primary. However, the NT4 machine doesn't have enough free space on it's 1GB system drive to do this. Can any one describe my best route to migrate to the new server? I guess I have to set up active directory and DNS too! (very scary!)

The server is expected to arrive in about 10 days time and I'm expected to know what I'm doing!!

(Incidentally, I'm down as an 'IS/IT--Management' I don't know how that happened or how to change it to 'tech user' but don't want to miss-lead anyone)

thanks

pete

 

[FilthPig]

Best way in your situation:

Install the new server as an NT 4.0 BDC. Promote it to PDC, upgrade it to windows 2000. Yes, you are going to have to set up DNS. Your NT 4.0 domain will become an Active Directory domain in the upgrade.

Also, pick up a copy of "Mastering Windows 2000 Server" by Mark Minasi. It'll save you a LOT of headaches and put some of those fears to rest.

Marc Creviere

 

[IThead]

Try to look into one of Microsoft utility call (ADMT) Active Directory Magrading tool, you can download this from Mircorsoft download area...

 

[snowweb]

Thanks for that - I hadn't thought of replacing the pre-installed Win2k with NT4 etc first but it seems quite logical. Hopefully the recovery disk supplied with the server will be capable of performing upgrade rather than just clean install.

The next problem is how to make the transision as seemless as possible to the 60 odd clients. I need to ensure that shortcuts to documents etc on the server will still work as I'll be removing the old server. I know I muct restore data and network apps to same paths for this to work but the server name and ip address will be different.

Is there anyway to remedy this after removing the old server? Ideally I need to be able to retain the name and ip address of the original server. I'm concerned that this might not be possible! Is the only solution to visit each PC and update paths etc?

Thanks in anticipation

pete

 

[FilthPig]

Yeah, create an alias in DNS using the old server name that points to the new server's host record. That way you can have a new IP address, new name, but still use the old name for name resolutions. This may only work for Win2k and later clients though.

You could use login scripts to map drives to the new server. Are all these documents shared in one central location? If so, then a login script may be the easiest way to go. Applications that have data stored on shares may be more difficult. The more manual the current set up was, the more manual moving it will be.

I'd recommend against naming (renaming) the new server to match the old. It can be done, but you'll have a lot of work getting Active Directory to like it.

Marc Creviere

 

[snowweb]

Thanx Marc, relieved to hear that there are solutions. Very keen to avoid dis-jointed dns!! so thinks I will take your number one suggestion (creating an alias in dns using the old server name). I might need to come back here to learn how if I can't extract the info from the MCSE books before then.

The main mappings we use are for:

Goldmine running from the server,
Exchange postoffice,
Mapped drives (mainly handled by login scripts - no great worries there),
Manually created shortcuts to docs, and
The intranet (running on IIS)

About half the clients are running Win98 the rest are 2k or xp so I guess it shouldn't take to long to correct mappings on each client as necessary. (I shudder to think what a pain it must be if you've got many hundreds of Win98 clients!)

Thanks again for your answer Marc (have a star in appreciation!) and thanks to, to IThead for the info about ADMT which I'm about to qo and investigate.

pete