Upgrading AD from 2000 to 2003

[tperachio]

I am currently running a Windows 2000 Active directory with 2 dc's. we have another member server running windows 2003 and exchange 2003.
i am not sure if previous admin has run adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep.
i just purchase 2 new servers running windows 2003, i would like to promote the 2 new servers to DC's, move the FSMO, PDC, Masters roles over to the newly promoted dc, and then demote the 2 windows 2000 server dc's.

my question is: is it ok to run forestprep and domainprep even if it was runned before setting up exchange server, i guess what iam saying is it ok to run it a 2nd time. and what other things do i need to do to upgrade AD to 2003

 

[wdoellefeld]

my question is: is it ok to run forestprep and domainprep even if it was runned before setting up exchange server, i guess what iam saying is it ok to run it a 2nd time.

yes, it is ok.

If you want to check into it first before you do you can look here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309628/.

(yay! shameless advertising. my side business)

http://www.frcp.net

 

[Roadki11]

Since the 2003 server is a member server adprep/domainprep and adprep/forestprep probably wasnt run as you wouldnt need to update the schema to add the 2003 server as a member server. to know for sure you can look on the 2k DC's here:

You can verify the operating system support level of the schema by looking at the value of the Schema Version registry subkey on a domain controller. You can find this subkey in the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters

The key you want is Schema Version, if the schema version is 13 its windows 2k if its 30 its been updated to windows 2k3 pre R2, if its 31 its been updated to windows 2k3 R2 schema.

Side Note: Exchange will modify the schema but it does not increment the schema version value.

Since you state they are "new" 2k3 servers im guessing they are R2 servers. if that is true you need to run adprep/domainprep and adprep/forestprep from the 2nd cd of the w2k3 R2 media to bring the schema version up to 31.

Hope this helps,

RoadKi11