Bit of fun - who has the oldest (working) Windows domain?

[Patrick]

Ok, so... My forest functional levels are at 2003. What's the risk/implications of raising them to 2008r2?

[3s-gtech]

Pretty much no risk, if your domain is working/replicating properly. You will not be able to use 2003 DCs any more (and rightly so). If you choose R2, you won't be able to use 2008 R1 DCs. You will gain some AD functionality:

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/understanding-active-directory-functional-levels(WS.10).aspx

 

I should mention that DFS-R support for the sysvol was brought in with 2008 - if you haven't done this step I strongly suggest it as your sysvol may still be using creaky old FRS otherwise.

Edited November 16, 2016 by 3s-gtech

[psydii]

I've stayed well clear of the RM universe since the 90's.... but if there was a direct upgrade path from Connect 2.x to CC3 and therefore CC4.... there maybe domains that started life as LanMan 2.1c

[Norphy]

I've stayed well clear of the RM universe since the 90's.... but if there was a direct upgrade path from Connect 2.x to CC3 and therefore CC4.... there maybe domains that started life as LanMan 2.1c

 

Lucky you. This is a CC4 domain. I'm looking forward to tearing the whole lot out and doing it properly.

[jimmy_2k]

15/07/2003 - The network was 2000 functional level built on 2003 servers. The prior servers were Novell from what I can see. Upgraded Functional Level to 2012R2 July 14

 

My previous schools DC's were built in April 2012 on Server 2008R2 by myself to replace 2003 servers from the BSF program.

[DGardiner]

ours is only around 5 years old now so no where near some of you guys! running at 2008r2, i should really upgrade to the newest server os.

 

Has anyone had any trouble doing 2008r2 > 2012/2016 ?

[3s-gtech]

To 2012 R2 - no. Very straightforward - you'll need to update the schema (which is all done through the GUI when you run dcpromo)

 

This is a nice guide: https://www.interworks.com/en-gb/blog/ijahanshahi/2014/01/02/creating-windows-2012-or-2012r2-domain-controller

[DGardiner]

To 2012 R2 - no. Very straightforward - you'll need to update the schema (which is all done through the GUI when you run dcpromo)

 

This is a nice guide: https://www.interworks.com/en-gb/blog/ijahanshahi/2014/01/02/creating-windows-2012-or-2012r2-domain-controller

 

Thanks for that, Im more looking at upgrading the DC's themselves - more worried ill upgrade and have services not want to play as I've got 5 DC's to upgrade before i can raise the functional level!

[clockend25]

28/10/2003

 

Two years after I left as a student, and six years before I reappeared to manage it.

[3s-gtech]

Thanks for that, Im more looking at upgrading the DC's themselves - more worried ill upgrade and have services not want to play as I've got 5 DC's to upgrade before i can raise the functional level!

 

Others have done it, but I would be loathe to ever recommend that you upgrade DCs in place. If you have the ability and space to build some new VMs to start the transition, I recommend that approach - at least build one new 2016 DC and move the FSMO roles to it, then think about perhaps in place upgrading the others. The disruption and stress it could cause if it goes belly up or some quirks are introduced is just not worth it.

[Sagima]

Mine was created 9/3/01

[3s-gtech]

Got a screenie?

[Sagima]

screenshot

[Dos_Box]

screenshot

 

I moved my first school over from Viglen Classlink NT 4.0 setup with Win 98 clients to a vanilla AD domain in summer 2001 (you beat me!).

It would be interesting to know whether this was a AD network setup buy someone like RM or Viglen (who were both installing AD domains by this point IIRC) or was migrated from a NT 4.0 domain.

Is there any way to tell?

Edited November 22, 2016 by Dos_Box

[Sagima]

It was setup by the previous network manager afresh on windows 2000. The had something before then which involved windows 98 but that's all the information I have about it - we never spoke about it much.

[Dos_Box]

It was setup by the previous network manager afresh on windows 2000. The had something before then which involved windows 98 but that's all the information I have about it - we never spoke about it much.

 

Yeah, NT4.0 domains with Windows 98 clients will do that

I'll bet he still wakes up at 3am in a cold sweat thinking about it though!

[zag]

2004 here.

 

Tip: You need to turn on advanced feature option in the view tab of active directory before right clicking on properties on the domain to see the object tab.

 

Just seen we are on 2003 forest even though been 2008 R2 domain level for years. Must fix that!

[jimmy_2k]

It looks like most school networks became unified from Novell, NT4, RISC OS etc into Windows Active directory in the early 2000's. This was when school networking really took off. I think the government might have been giving LEA's grants at the time to go digital and implement whole school networking.

[Dos_Box]

It looks like most school networks became unified from Novell, NT4, RISC OS etc into Windows Active directory in the early 2000's. This was when school networking really took off. I think the government might have been giving LEA's grants at the time to go digital and implement whole school networking.

 

I take it you are not 'old'?

Back in the early 2000's (since circa 1999 actually) the govt at the time ran the NGfL program. This put millions into schools each year to fund the introduction of networks and fast internet connections into UK schools and by and large it was a success.

NGfL Funding was effectively nerfed when the coalition govt came in in 2009.

You can read more here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Grid_for_Learning but it was a lot more than just the RBC's.

Anyway, back in the early days, people like RM and Viglen installed a lot of 'off the shelf' NT 4.0 networks into UK schools and it was these that migrated into AD domains.

[ozydave]

6/6/2006[emoji43]