Upgrading/migrating from NT to Win2k

[mjstanton]

We currently have 1 NT4.0 PDC and 2 BDC's. We also have 2 Windows 2000 member servers in addition to 2 other NT4.0 member servers.

We currently run WINS but aren't running DNS or DHCP. My plan is to take one of the BDC's offline. I'm going to demote the PDC to BCD because it's the BDC machine that we want to be the new DC.

But before we do this I beleive that I should set up a DNS server. I was thinking of using one of the existing W2k servers for that. Will that work, or should I install DNS on one of the NT servers that won't be upgraded right away?

Are there any other considerations I should have? Also, do we HAVE to use DHCP?

Thanks in advance for any/all replies!
-MJ

 

[InfrArch]

It's not necessary to use DHCP in your case. Futhermore, you can use W2k DNS without any problems if you need one.
Anyway, I do not understand why do you need DNS for BDC/PDC promotion process? It 's not necessary, because it 's just the matter of WNT Domain, but not W2k Domain. W2k domain relies on DNS, WNT - does not.

Good luck.



Victor K
MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);CNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA;Net+;CCNA

 

[mjstanton]

Thanks for your reply!

I read in a TechRepublic article called "Migrating Windows NT4.0 Server to Windows 200: Perspective":

"The DNS must be in place before upgrading to Windows 2000."

Is that not true?

-MJ

 

[karlisi]

It is true if you want to upgrade your domain to Windows 2000 AD. Your first post was not about domain upgrade.

===
Karlis
ECDL; MCP

 

[GlenJohnson]

Correct, you want DNS working if you're going to be using AD. Just a thought, why aren't you upgrading your pdc to W2K, then make it a dc, take your w2k servers, make them dc's, sync everything then run dcpromo on the old nt box to make it a stand alone server before shutting it down. Just a thought. Good luck.

Glen A. Johnson
"To fear the worst oft cures the worse."
William Shakespeare (1564-1616); English dramatist, poet.

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884

 

[mjstanton]

I'm sorry if I wasn't clear in my first post. We want to upgrade one of our NT servers to W2K and make it the DC. But we don't want to upgrade our current PDC - we want to use one of the BDC's. That's why I spoke of taking the 2nd BDC offline (in case things go awry and we need to roll back to NT) and switching the roles of the BDC that we want to become the W2K DC and the PDC. Shouldn't we be upgrading a PDC (and not a BDC) to a W2K DC? The 2 existing W2k servers are both heavy file and application servers. If the upgrade goes well we are going to upgrade the former PDC to a 2nd W2K DC, then bring the 2nd NT BDC back online. We are planning to run in mixed mode for a while.....

So my question still is this - since DNS should be installed and running prior to the upgrade, where is the best place to put it? On one of the NT servers or on one of the W2K servers?

-MJ

 

[GlenJohnson]

OK, you'll have to upgrade the bdc to a pdc first, since you can't upgrade a bdc to w2k. I figure you know this since your going to take the pdc down to a bdc. You may want to try your own advice and take a w2k member server, run dcpromo and make it a dc after you demote the pdc. Have you decided what your going to use long range? DNS, DHCP, WINS etc. Since you talk about making the w2k server a dc, this means you want to use Active Directory, in which case you will need dns up and running.

Glen A. Johnson
"To fear the worst oft cures the worse."
William Shakespeare (1564-1616); English dramatist, poet.

Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884