Promote NT 4.0 BDC to Windows 2000 Active Directory

6 Mar 2006 4:03 PM

Ricky Chan

Hi,

I would like to find out if there is any resource out there which shows me
how to promote/upgrade my NT 4.0 BDC to Windows 2000 Active Directory?

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.
Ricky

6 Mar 2006 4:12 PM

Paul Williams [MVP]

Look at the Windows Server 2003 Deployment guide. The book you want is
Designing and deploying directory and security services.

Basically, you upgrade the PDC to Windows 2000/ 2003. After upgrade,
DCPROMO runs. Generally you will build with new hardware and new BDC and
upgrade that.

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net

6 Mar 2006 4:26 PM

Ricky Chan

Paul,

Thanks for your reply.

Can I do the following steps?

1) Create another BDC off the PDC
2) Disconnet this BDC from our corporate LAN and connect it to isolated LAN,
then promote it to PDC
3) Upgrade this new PDC to active directory.

Are those steps correct?

Please advice.

Thanks
Ricky
Show quoteHide quote

"Paul Williams [MVP]" <ptw2***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1141661520.811369@ernani.logica.co.uk...
> Look at the Windows Server 2003 Deployment guide. The book you want is
> Designing and deploying directory and security services.
>
> Basically, you upgrade the PDC to Windows 2000/ 2003. After upgrade,
> DCPROMO runs. Generally you will build with new hardware and new BDC and
> upgrade that.
>
> --
> Paul Williams
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
> http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net
>
>

6 Mar 2006 5:00 PM

Paul Williams [MVP]

You can do it that way yes, but then you will have two domains with the same
NetBIOS name. You should use this technique to test the upgrade process,
but should upgrade that actual live PDC when the time comes to do the
upgrade.

When you do this, ensure you have at least one BDC backed up and offline.
You can fall back using this in the event of any problems then.

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net

6 Mar 2006 5:09 PM

Ricky Chan

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your reply.

But if the upgrade of the new PDC to windows 2000 active directory
successfully. Can I just turn off all the current PDC and BDC and just bring
the new 2000 AD to our corporate LAN?

If something is failed, I can always turn off the AD and bring back the old
PDC and BDC, right?

Are those steps durable??

Show quoteHide quote

"Paul Williams [MVP]" <ptw2***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1141664419.181522@ernani.logica.co.uk...
> You can do it that way yes, but then you will have two domains with the
> same
> NetBIOS name. You should use this technique to test the upgrade process,
> but should upgrade that actual live PDC when the time comes to do the
> upgrade.
>
> When you do this, ensure you have at least one BDC backed up and offline.
> You can fall back using this in the event of any problems then.
>
> --
> Paul Williams
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
> http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net
>
>

7 Mar 2006 8:22 AM

Paul Williams [MVP]

You're looking at it the wrong way round. Why complicate things? Yes, your
steps will probably work but will most likely be unsupported. The
recommended way is as I said - turn off a valid BDC and promote the new one.
If there's an issue, you roll back. Before promoting you need to implement
NT4Emulator:
-- http://www.msresource.net/content/view/48/46/

Please look at the online copy of the book I mentioned in my first post.

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net

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