Upgrading Server2000 DC to Server2003 R2 – best method 1

[tookawhile]

I have 1 PDC running Srv2k in native mode (only have XP clients) with around 20 users, very simple AD structure – the hardware is old and now have a new server to eventually replace it – the new server runs Server 2003 R2.

I want to know the best way of integrating the new server whilst leaving the old PDC running, so the way I had in mind was to remove all the clients from the domain (small office – around 20 clients) then demote the old Win2k server to a member server only, then plug in the new Server2003 in and promote it to be the new DC – I will add a backup DC later. Will this work out Ok?

I have been trying out the new server on a separate subnet so it is running as a DC at the moment – also not physically connected to the same network at the moment.

 

[ntinlin]

Should do, but why bother going to all that trouble with the clients even if only 20 of them?

You'd need to prep the forest and domain first from the 2nd R2 CD I think but then you could upgrade the R2 server to a DC, transfer all the roles then demote the W2K DC. Then you can make the domain W2003 native.

 

[tookawhile]

I'm unsure on how the clients handle a new DC which may have different security tokens - this is where my knowledge is sketchy.

 

[tookawhile]

...and the new server is currently configured as 'Windows Server 2003 Mode' and Win2k domains are (I believe) no longer supported. So will I have to change the W2003srv over to W2000 native mode and start over?

 

[Davetoo]

You're overcomplicating a very simple thing.

First, on your current W2K DC, put in the 2nd CD from the 2003R2 sets and run the adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep. That prepares your schema to accept the 2003R2 DC.

Next, join the 2003R2 to your domain and then dcpromo it. To be safe, let it sit overnight so everything is replicated. Then you need to seize the FSMO roles from your existing DC over to the new 2003R2 one;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255690/.

Make sure that the 2003R2 is running any services that the old server was handling (DHCP, DNS, WINS, etc.), then dcpromo the old server to remove it as a DC, then you can remove it from your domain.

It's pretty straight forward. I just did this with one of my child domains.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[tookawhile]

Ok.

My new W2003 is currently set-up as a DC,running AD, DNS, DHCP, which I did to play around with it. Will I have to demote before joining it to the domain? Does adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep protect against having 2 DHCP and DNS on the same network?

 

[Davetoo]

No, the adprep's are used to prepare your schema for the 2003R2 server to be a DC.

You say it's setup as a DC running AD/DNS/DHCP....did you do this without connecting to your network/domain? What exactly have you done to make it a DC? Not sure what you've gone and done here.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[nsglists]

Ditto in my case. My situation is as such.

My current AD environment has 2 servers, both 2003 Ent SP1. I have to decomission one as I have new hardware which is running Win2K3 R2. Both existing AD Win2K3 SP1 servers have DNS and DHCP (split zones). The server I want to decomission is NOT holding any FSMO riles.

Realizing that if you want to run R2, you need to upgrade your AD to R2 before adding an R2 machine to the domain (correct me if I am wrong), the steps I plan to take are as follows, let me know if you see anything amiss,
- I have 2 ADs and I have to upgrade the one with all roles to R2 and decommision the second, before bringing a third as AD server R2
(1) upgrade the first AD server which curently holds all roles to R2.
Question: at this point I will have 2 AD servers, one R2 and the other SP1 -- how will this act up?
(2) transfer the DHCP zone from the second server to the newly upgraded R2 server (as clients might lose connectivity)
(3) demote the second AD server and decommission it
(4) run dcpromo on the third server and make it a DNS integrated AD along with DHCP server

Re, "put in the 2nd CD from the 2003R2 sets and run the adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep"
--> But I dont have a R2 license nor the R2 media to upgrade the first AD SP1 server.
(5) Could I use the media from the third server which is pre-installed and has media available?
(6) Or should I get an upgrade license and media for the first server and upgrade it to R2??

Please advice.
Thanks a bunch.

 

[tookawhile]

As I said, the new W3000 server is not physically connected to the same network as the current W2000 server - it is in rack, I used the wizards to set-up the roles and the such like, just to get the look and feel of it. I have 2 laptops running XP as clients, for testing.

I was assuming I could revert it back to server with no roles (demote?), then use your method to integrate into the main network.

 

[Davetoo]

tookawhile - yes, dcpromo it to reduce it to just a member server of the test domain, then disjoin it from that domain. Once that's done and after you've run the adpreps, then join it to the domain and dcpromo it in to become a DC.

nsglists - You'll need to purchase R2 as it's not a free upgrade.

When you say you have 2 AD's, I presume you mean you have two DC's. What I would do is run the adprep's to prepare your AD for R2, then dcpromo the new R2 server into your domain. Transfer any roles you need it to run/handle, let it sit overnight, then dcpromo the server you're going to remove out of the domain. Then you can upgrade your other SP1 machine to R2 and you're all done.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[tookawhile]

Phew...got there eventually!

And many thanks Davetoo for some great advice.

 

[nsglists]

Thanks Davetoo for all the advice.
Some more,
Re,
"dcpromo the server you're going to remove out of the domain"
--> Shouldnt this server be be upgraded to R2. Now this server doesnt hold any roles, but lets say I had other server which I would not demote and have them as additional DCs. They will not have any roles as I said, but is it okay to have them as SP1 itself when 2 other DCs, one of which holds the roles, are R2??

 

[nsglists]

Also,
am I reqiored to doall the following,
adprep.exe /forestprep
then
adprep.exe /domainprep
then
adprep.exe /domainprep /gpprep (even if I dont have any GPs?)

What happens if I use the "nofilecopy" option

Thanks a bunch.

 

[Davetoo]

You clearly stated you were going to decommission one server....so I don't understand your question. If you're gonna remove it...then remove it. Dcpromo it out of the AD, then disjoin from the domain and shut it down. You can have a mix of R2 and SP1, not a problem.

Not familiar with the nofilecopy option, I did the forestprep/domainprep/gpprep and had no issues.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[nsglists]

I am sorry, I didnt mean to be confusing. I will be decommissioing one for sure. But my question is,
if SP1 and R2 can co-exist, then why do I have to upgrade my SP1 DC (with roles) to R2?
Can't I just let it be and bring the new R2 server into the domain as a DC, but with no roles?

Please advice.
Thanks.

 

[Davetoo]

You indicated you wanted to upgrade your SP1 to R2, I didn't tell you to do it, I told you how to do it because you asked how.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[nsglists]

Not a problem. But I only thought you had to necesarily do it. Again, it was something I read upon elsewhere that,
"if you want to run R2, you need to upgrade your AD to R2 before adding an R2 machine to the domain"
I am unable to find the source where I read it, but based on the above, I was always assuming that,
- all DCs had to be R2 OR
- if you had a mix of SP1 or R2, then the R2 DC must seize all the roles!!
Thanks.

 

[Davetoo]

No, they're talking about you have to run the adprep/forestprep and /domainprep before you dcpromo an R2 machine. You can't mess up really, if you try to dcpromo in an R2 w/out running the adprep's, it will warn you and then stop the dcpromo from going forward.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215

 

[nsglists]

Thanks again. This is making for some really interesting conversation for me at least.
Just a clarification. When you say, "if you try to dcpromo in an R2 w/out running the adprep's"
--> do you mean in an R2 environment, since there is no R2 in the environment yet
--> will it still stop you from running dcpromo on R2, if the existing DCs are are SP1?
--> or did you mean vice-versa, stop you from running dcpromo on SP1 in a R2 DC environment without first running adprep on SP1?
Please advice.

 

[Davetoo]

No, I mean if you try to dcpromo into AD an R2 server.

No, it will not prevent you from dcpromo'ing in an R2 server into AD unless you haven't run adprep from the R2 CD's.

You're complicating something that is really quite simple.

Before you can make a 2003R2 server a domain controller in an existing domain that is running 2000/2003/2003SP1, you have to run the adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep from the 2003R2 CD, disk #2. If you try to DCPROMO a 2003R2 server into an existing AD structure without running the adprep's, you'll get an error message, and you can't do it.

I'm Certifiable, not cert-ified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.
The poster formerly known as lander215