Upgrading NT to Win 2003

[Mike]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

I would like to do an upgrade as opposed to a migration
from NT to Win 2003/AD.

Here is my situation:
My PDC will not run 2003 Server. So, I plan to bring in a
new server load NT on it and then upgrade to 2003.

Can someone please help me with my plan.

Do I install the new server as a BDC and then promote it
to a PDC and then shutsown my PDC and upgrade the new
server to 2003? Please advise with any thoughts or
suggestions or items I need to be aware of. Your help is
greatly appreciated.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

In order to upgrade you have to upgrade the PDC
of the domain. Install the new server as an NT 4.0
BDC then open server manager and promote the
BDC to primary. This should demote the existing
PDC to BDC. Once promotion is complete you
can upgrade the new server now PDC to W2k3.

"Mike" <munes@hbcpas.com> wrote in message
> I would like to do an upgrade as opposed to a migration
> from NT to Win 2003/AD.
>
> Here is my situation:
> My PDC will not run 2003 Server. So, I plan to bring in a
> new server load NT on it and then upgrade to 2003.
>
> Can someone please help me with my plan.
>
> Do I install the new server as a BDC and then promote it
> to a PDC and then shutsown my PDC and upgrade the new
> server to 2003? Please advise with any thoughts or
> suggestions or items I need to be aware of. Your help is
> greatly appreciated.

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

Thanks so much! Another Question, if I want to have a
test lab with all of my information before I do the actual
live upgrade...can I do exactly what you said and then
literally power off the new PDC and remove it from the
network before upgrading and bring up the original PDC
that is now a bdc and re-promote it to a PDC? Would this
bring my network back to its original form and now give me
a separate machine that has all of my domain information
on it that will allow me to do testing and not worry about
breaking anything?
>-----Original Message-----
>In order to upgrade you have to upgrade the PDC
>of the domain. Install the new server as an NT 4.0
>BDC then open server manager and promote the
>BDC to primary. This should demote the existing
>PDC to BDC. Once promotion is complete you
>can upgrade the new server now PDC to W2k3.
>
>"Mike" <munes@hbcpas.com> wrote in message
>> I would like to do an upgrade as opposed to a migration
>> from NT to Win 2003/AD.
>>
>> Here is my situation:
>> My PDC will not run 2003 Server. So, I plan to bring
in a
>> new server load NT on it and then upgrade to 2003.
>>
>> Can someone please help me with my plan.
>>
>> Do I install the new server as a BDC and then promote it
>> to a PDC and then shutsown my PDC and upgrade the new
>> server to 2003? Please advise with any thoughts or
>> suggestions or items I need to be aware of. Your help
is
>> greatly appreciated.
>
>
>.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

Actually MS recommends you keep a current (recently
synchronized) BDC offline before upgrading in case you
have problems you can bring back the old domain rather
quickly. You can take the original PDC offline and promote
the BDC in a test environment as you suggested or promote
the BDC take the old PDC now BDC offline if you want.

"Mike" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> Thanks so much! Another Question, if I want to have a
> test lab with all of my information before I do the actual
> live upgrade...can I do exactly what you said and then
> literally power off the new PDC and remove it from the
> network before upgrading and bring up the original PDC
> that is now a bdc and re-promote it to a PDC? Would this
> bring my network back to its original form and now give me
> a separate machine that has all of my domain information
> on it that will allow me to do testing and not worry about
> breaking anything?

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

Thanks. I'm sorry but I want to be crystal clear what you
are saying so please bear with me for a moment.

I want a test environment and I want to end up with my
current network back to the state it is in right now
(before doing anything.

Are you suggesting bringing in a new machine, loading NT
4.0 and making it a BDC and then take it offline put it in
a test environment. Once in the test environment promote
it to a PDC and then upgrade it to Win2003?

OR..

Promote it to a PDC before taking it offline which will
demote my live pdc to a bdc. Then, unplug this new PDC
and take it to a test environment and power the old pdc
back on and promote it back to a PDC? Does either option
get me my wanted solution?

Which option do you prefer....which has less risk? Thanks
so much...
>-----Original Message-----
>Actually MS recommends you keep a current (recently
>synchronized) BDC offline before upgrading in case you
>have problems you can bring back the old domain rather
>quickly. You can take the original PDC offline and
promote
>the BDC in a test environment as you suggested or promote
>the BDC take the old PDC now BDC offline if you want.
>
>"Mike" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
>> Thanks so much! Another Question, if I want to have a
>> test lab with all of my information before I do the
actual
>> live upgrade...can I do exactly what you said and then
>> literally power off the new PDC and remove it from the
>> network before upgrading and bring up the original PDC
>> that is now a bdc and re-promote it to a PDC? Would
this
>> bring my network back to its original form and now give
me
>> a separate machine that has all of my domain information
>> on it that will allow me to do testing and not worry
about
>> breaking anything?
>
>
>.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

I would choose your first option for your
test environment. When it is time for the
real thing choose option two. Either should
work fine but option two requires more
work e.g., promoting the original back to
PDC.

<anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> Thanks. I'm sorry but I want to be crystal clear what you
> are saying so please bear with me for a moment.
>
>
> Are you suggesting bringing in a new machine, loading NT
> 4.0 and making it a BDC and then take it offline put it in
> a test environment. Once in the test environment promote
> it to a PDC and then upgrade it to Win2003?
>
> OR..
>
> Promote it to a PDC before taking it offline which will
> demote my live pdc to a bdc. Then, unplug this new PDC
> and take it to a test environment and power the old pdc
> back on and promote it back to a PDC? Does either option
> get me my wanted solution?

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

Michael,

Can you help? I took a machine and made it a BDC
(remember I want to leave my current network in tact but
create a lab environment with my domain information for
testing).

Next, I took your advice and removed the new bdc from the
network and tried to upgrsade it to 2003. The server did
upgrade, but I could not install AD because it could not
find a domain controller. I ran into problems while
trying to configure DNS...this server is the only one I
have (since it is in it's own test environment).

Any suggestions??
>-----Original Message-----
>I would choose your first option for your
>test environment. When it is time for the
>real thing choose option two. Either should
>work fine but option two requires more
>work e.g., promoting the original back to
>PDC.
>
><anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> Thanks. I'm sorry but I want to be crystal clear what
you
>> are saying so please bear with me for a moment.
>>
>>
>> Are you suggesting bringing in a new machine, loading NT
>> 4.0 and making it a BDC and then take it offline put it
in
>> a test environment. Once in the test environment
promote
>> it to a PDC and then upgrade it to Win2003?
>>
>> OR..
>>
>> Promote it to a PDC before taking it offline which will
>> demote my live pdc to a bdc. Then, unplug this new PDC
>> and take it to a test environment and power the old pdc
>> back on and promote it back to a PDC? Does either
option
>> get me my wanted solution?
>
>
>.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

Did you first promote it to primary.

"Mike" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> Michael,
>
> Can you help? I took a machine and made it a BDC
> (remember I want to leave my current network in tact but
> create a lab environment with my domain information for
> testing).
>
> Next, I took your advice and removed the new bdc from the
> network and tried to upgrsade it to 2003. The server did
> upgrade, but I could not install AD because it could not
> find a domain controller. I ran into problems while
> trying to configure DNS...this server is the only one I
> have (since it is in it's own test environment).

 

[Mike]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsnt.domain (More info?)

I realized that I didn't. I'm starting over now and will
let you know if it happens again. Thanks!
>-----Original Message-----
>Did you first promote it to primary.
>
>"Mike" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
>> Michael,
>>
>> Can you help? I took a machine and made it a BDC
>> (remember I want to leave my current network in tact but
>> create a lab environment with my domain information for
>> testing).
>>
>> Next, I took your advice and removed the new bdc from
the
>> network and tried to upgrsade it to 2003. The server
did
>> upgrade, but I could not install AD because it could not
>> find a domain controller. I ran into problems while
>> trying to configure DNS...this server is the only one I
>> have (since it is in it's own test environment).
>
>
>.
>