Windows NT4 Migration

[precioustony]

I am involved in migrating a network from windows NT 4.0 to Windows 2003 and the issue of Namespace (DNS) has been bothering me. The forest has already been created at the headquarters and I will be creating a new domain tree in the forest. How should I configure DNS on the server that will host the first active directory domain in the new domain tree. The present DNS zone is something like xyz.com and this will still be retained after the migration.

Pls help

 

[joseph1475]

If you are creating a new domain under the HQ forest then I would install DNS on the first Active Directory server. I would forward all the request to the forest DNS your local server can't resolve (forgot the terminology). This way you will have a full control of your domain and don't need to depened on other people to change something for your domain in the DNS.

 

[precioustony]

Thanx Joseph. I quite understand what you are saying and I have it sorted already. The part am bothered about is how to handle my internal DNS during the migration. As I said the zone name for the DNS on the Windows NT 4.0 network is something like xyz.com, while the NT 4 domain name is abc.xyz.com

My question is: what should the zone name for the DNS on my proposed AD domain be. Note that xyz.com is our internet name and will be retained. Also, please note that I will not be upgrading from NT 4.0 to windows 2003 rather I will be migrating and that means the NT 4.0 domain and AD domain will be running parallel to each other till the migration is completed.

thanx

 

[Jpoandl]

It looks like you DNS namespace for Windows 2003 is already started: " The forest has already been created at the headquarters and I will be creating a new domain tree in the forest."

So, you will probably want to comply to the same name struture.

Lets say the existing root structure is company.net

And lets say that US.company.net and EU.company.net also already exists.

You should enter the structure in a logical way. So, if you are part of the US environment, you should keep the common us.company.net name space and add your domain to it...
i.e
NJ.US.Company.net

In order to be in the same forest, you need to have at least part of the root name in your namespace...

Not sure if this answers your question...but maybe it will help.

Also, it is best not to name your external INTERNET registered domain name identical to your internal name space... You will run into DNS problems if you do this...


Joseph L. Poandl
MCSE 2003

If your company is in need of experts to examine technical problems/solutions, please contact

http://www.NJCOMPUTERNETWORKS.com

 

[precioustony]

Thanx Jpoandl,

The post have not really answered my question, maybe I did not state my question clearly. my problem is not about the domain name but the DNS zone nameand file.

Certainly, before installing AD I have to install DNS that supports SRV but there's DNS already in the Win NT 4.0 domain.

My question is: How do I handle the installation of the DNS on the server that will host the AD domain. Please note that the zone name on the NT 4.0 dns (xyz.com) is our internet name and it is still the name we will use after migrating to w2k3. Can I install DNS on the server that will host the AD domain and call the zone xyz.com (same as the zone name on the NT 4.0 domain) while the NT 4.0 DNS is still running???

thax