Win2000 PDC and NT 4 BDC

[bettyb]

I have read several of these posts and am trying to understand the fallout of mixed mode Win2000/NT4 PDC/BDC issues. I have one vendor telling me "No problem" and another one saying don't even think about mixing them. So here's what I have:

A Win NT4 domain

PDC - runs exchange
BDC1 - file and printer server
BDC2 - file and printer server for a remote location
(via T1)
Other member servers 2 Win2000. 2 Win NT4.

BDC1 needs to be replaced. The vendor that says NO PROBLEM says I can demote the PDC to a BDC, bring up the Win2000 server as the master and everything will work fine. He referred to a PDC Emulator. and says with this in place, the other 2 NT 4 BDC's will happily coexist with the WIn2000 controller. The vendor indicates I won't have to do anything with security, login scripts etc.

Based on everything I have read on this forum I am skeptical. Is anyone out there really doing this? Or tried this? How many hours were really invested to make it all work? Any direction or links to documents are appreciated. I have the Win2000 Deployment Guide.

thank you

 

[brontosaurus]

the vendor needs to take a few classes or read a few books...more power to you for researching and being skeptical. To preserve all your security, you would need to make the 2K box an NT4 BDC, promote it to PDC, then dcpromo it to a DC...

 

[InfrArch]

I could offer a little different way: (recommended by MS)
1. run winnt32 /checkupgradeonly on PDC. OK?
2. see HCL + Hardware requirements for your PDC to be successifully upgraded to w2k.
3. if everything is OK, upgrade PDC to W2kS + SP3
4. upgrade Exch to exch2ksp3
5. then you can easily upgrade all other BDC's if required.
6. when all of your dc's will be w2k - you can switch to native mode.

Hope it will help you.


Victor K
psas@canada.com
MCSE+I;MCSA;MCSE(w2k);CNE(5.1);MCNE(6);CIWSP;CIWSA.