adding a server 2008 dc to a 2003 domain

[john]

I have asked the question of Serco about 2008 R2 Support, they support 2008 but I said they should look into R2 especially the SSO stuff as that seems to be a common thing that is failing with other items that use the DCs. So I am awaiting hearing back from Serco. I am not rushing to 2008 R2 for my Serco box, it can stay on 2003 for now. So long as its 2008 R2 supported by summer next year when I replace the box (unless I bring that forth to help some of our issues....)

[cookie_monster]

Could you not just move that box to 2008 john? What's the need for R2 on the Serco box?

[john]

Could you not just move that box to 2008 john? What's the need for R2 on the Serco box?

I want them all to match in the end

[earlyriser]

This is almost correct. You need to update your existing 2003 PDC Schema first, before adding any 2008 server to your domain. Server 2003 is Schema 30 and Server 2003 R2 is Schema 31. 2008 Server is Schema 44, so quite a big difference.

 

If you don't do it this way round, you'll get lots of errors as the Schemas will be different versions.

 

- Take a full backup (including System State) of your existing 2003 PDC

- Update existing 2003 PDC Schema to 44. You aren't required to do this on any other domain controller

- Join the 2008 Server to the domain

- Promote 2008 Server as a domain controller, including DNS

- Either migrate DHCP or create a secondary DHCP Server for redundancy

- Force Replication through Sites and Services manually

- Migrate all FSMO roles

- Force Replication again through Sites and Services manually

- Either leave the 2003 Server as a BDC, or demote it to a member server

- Get a cup of coffee and enjoy your success

 

Will you have any downtime? Not much if done properly, however you will require reboots to join the 2008 Server to the domain and promote it to a DC; you'll also need to reboot your 2003 Server, if you decide to demote it to a member server.

 

These steps are pretty much what we have just done, from 2000 to 2008 R2, and it went OK. What caught us out was having WINS on our old PDC, and when we turned the old PDC off, a few things went wrong (some legacy stuff on the network that needs WINS obviously - will be working hard to iron that out...) We fixed this temporarily by putting WINS on the new 2008 R2 box and migrating the database across. We also had a strange DNS issue with alias (CName) records to certain servers as well, where you could ping the servers and map a drive to the real server name, but not to the alias name. Only some servers were affected. I'm thinking WINS again but we worked around it. The other things I'd add to this list is to watch where your logon scripts are being run from (if they are in the default AD location that is fine as they are replicated, but if they are running from a share on your old DC, obviously they will stop working!) and just to do a really good analysis of your old server(s), looking for those little gotchas that someone else might have setup years ago, before you turn them off. We had lots of disconnecting the network cable of the old server and then plugging it back in again when little things stopped working. No disruption to the network really, other than the DNS issues etc.

[Michael]

Generally (as a recommendation) you should join a new server to the domain and then promote it to a domain controller. At this point you should make sure DNS is correct. The server should point to itself first, then a secondary DNS server, then external DNS servers.

 

You also need to add it to DHCP Server so machines know where to look when you migrate FSMO roles. In doing this you should receive no DNS errors whatsoever.

 

Any reason why you wouldn't run login scripts from within NETLOGON? If you stored scripts within a share, what were you using NETLOGON for (if anything)?

[cookie_monster]

I want them all to match in the end

 

A good clean obsessive compulsive answer I like it

[zag]

Microsofts advice is to create a new 2008 server then upgrade the old PDC DC to 2008 as well. Seems a bit risky to me.

 

Determine Domain Controller Upgrade Order

[jason2234]

This is what i did. I installed 2008 on my new dc and then upgraded all the schemas and made the new server the pdc. Server 2008 is a very good program, a lot better than 2003 in a lot of ways. From doing this upgrade i had no problems what so ever and my next step is to remove the old 2003 dc's all together and add another 2008 dc.

[timbo343]

Sounds ok.

 

This may help.

 

Screencast – Install Windows 2008 DC in Existing Windows 2003 Domain. Upgrading Active Directory Domain to Windows Server 2008 AD DS Domain, Adding Windows 2008 Domain Controller. Step-by-Step video tutorial.

 

Ben

 

Did you manage to view the step by step guides. I managed to view the first one but then it said that i have to subscribe to watch the rest of them.

[oxide54]

on the issue of downtime,

 

check you haven't got a stupidly large sysvol, because you won't experience downtime but if it takes a while for the sysvol to replicate you will get login problems due group policies not being available if the client resolves that DC for the sysvol.

 

we had it where when i started at my current place where all the profiles had been placed in the sysvol, i put a new DC in and it took the whole day to replicate the sysvol. they were using redirected desktops which where in the sysvol as well.

 

the kiddies ended up with the wrong startmenus, desktops. staff had no roaming profiles.

[irsprint]

I'm looking to put a 2008 r2 dc 64bit server into a 2003 r2 32bit forest, I'm still keeping the 2003 r2 domain as the PDC. Do I still do the above steps, even though I m staying at 2003 r2 level? no problem with forest prep is 32/64 bit system? DO I get to play with things like gpp when forest /prep done or do I have to wait till I bring all dc servers up to 2008 r2 level?

[irsprint]

I'm looking to put a 2008 r2 dc 64bit server into a 2003 r2 32bit forest, I'm still keeping the 2003 r2 domain as the PDC. Do I still do the above steps, even though I m staying at 2003 r2 level? no problem with forest prep is 32/64 bit system? DO I get to play with things like gpp when forest /prep done or do I have to wait till I bring all dc servers up to 2008 r2 level?

[oxide54]

I'm looking to put a 2008 r2 dc 64bit server into a 2003 r2 32bit forest, I'm still keeping the 2003 r2 domain as the PDC. Do I still do the above steps, even though I m staying at 2003 r2 level? no problem with forest prep is 32/64 bit system? DO I get to play with things like gpp when forest /prep done or do I have to wait till I bring all dc servers up to 2008 r2 level?

 

afaik you don't even need a 2008 dc for GPP, all you need is 2008 member server and the GPP/GPMC mmc tools installed.

[cookie_monster]

afaik you don't even need a 2008 dc for GPP, all you need is 2008 member server and the GPP/GPMC mmc tools installed

 

Or a Vista/Win7 box which will update the ADMs on the server. If you have a 2008 R2 DC in the forest then you should be ok.

[irsprint]

Thanks for the info, but can I still add 2008 r2 64bit dc while staying in win 2k3 r2 32bit just using forest /prep?

[cookie_monster]

I'm not 100% sure with 2008 R2 but you can mix 2003 and 2008 x64 and x32 bit DC's in a domain but you have to run forest prep to the highest DC level. So if you want a 2008 DC in a 2003 domain you would have to run forestprep to update the schema to 2008. The same should apply to 2008 R2.

 

Take a look at this link it should answer your questions.

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc733027(WS.10).aspx

 

 

Also

 

Starting with Windows Server 2008 R2 however, Microsoft will only release Windows Server in a 64bit form. When you want to transition your 32bit Domain Controllers to Windows Server 208 R2, you need to first introduce a 64bit Domain Controller (Windows Server 2003 x64 or Windows Server 2008), seize the appropriate Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) Roles and prepare for Windows Server 2008 R2 Domain Controllers on this server

 

http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/archive/2009/02/17/64bit-only-windows-server-is-good-for-active-directory.aspx

 

 

 

Before you do this i'd search these forums I think quite a few 2008 R2 early adoptors have come accross a few issues.

Edited September 23, 2009 by cookie_monster

[GoldenWonder]

I was going to install our newest server in as a 2008 (DC) in our 2003 domain, until I realised that basically meant I had to buy every single device CAL again, as all PCs would access the server and only currently have 2003 CALS!

 

So its a all or nothing upgrade to 2008 for me, whenever the money is available! Probably will never happen with BSF looming..

[oxide54]

I was going to install our newest server in as a 2008 (DC) in our 2003 domain, until I realised that basically meant I had to buy every single device CAL again, as all PCs would access the server and only currently have 2003 CALS!

 

So its a all or nothing upgrade to 2008 for me, whenever the money is available! Probably will never happen with BSF looming..

 

Take it your not on schools agreement then?

[cookie_monster]

Take it your not on schools agreement then?

 

I was thinking the same thing.

[oxide54]

Probably will never happen with BSF looming..

 

excuse me for being a 'tard whats BSF?

[cookie_monster]

Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

 

Partnerships for Schools

 

The latest way that the government has found for wasting tax payers money by giving it to companies on the assumption that it will be managed more efficiently. Unfortunately 'all' the money saved on efficiency will then be handed over in bonuses and to share holders no doubt so net saving for the government = 0

 

Need evidence take a look at pretty much all EDS contracts with the government

Edited September 24, 2009 by cookie_monster

[oxide54]

Building Schools for the Future (BSF).

 

Partnerships for Schools

 

The latest way that the government has found for wasting tax payers money by giving it to companies on the assumption that it will be managed more efficiently. Unfortunately 'all' the money saved on efficiency will then be handed over in bonuses and to share holders no doubt so net saving for the government = 0

 

Need evidence take a look at pretty much all EDS contracts with the government

 

thought it was something along those lines.

[jason2234]

Birmingham Schools for the future or of the future.

We have a no playground, sports hall, or pe space but we do have a large metal structure going up at the back of the school. thats bsf oh and everything we buy has to have 5 years next day warrenty, yay

[garethEds]

Hi all

 

I'm in the process of adding a server 2008 server as a dc to a 2003 domain but i want to make sure i'm doing it all right and there a few areas i need some help with.

 

Right i have 2 2003 dc's and i'm adding this as the 3rd and later i will remove the older of the 2 2003 dc's. The PDC is named Fred (i didn't name it this ) and the new dc is named dc-01. This is as far as i've gotten.

 

1.install server 2008

2.run the following commands on my 2 2003 dc's

adprep /forestprep

adprep /domainprep

adprep /domainprep /gprep

adprep /rodcprep

3.run through dcpromo on my 2008 dc

4.get a cup or coffee and enjoy my success

 

Is this even right? Is there anything i've missed off? such as do i need to back up the ad before this (how do i do this if i do never actually backed up ad before )?

Will there be any network downtime in this process?

Also i want the server 2008 server to be the primary dc will my method achieve this?

 

Thanks

 

Jason

 

A stupid question but if you upgrade your network to include 2008DcCs do you then have to upgrade your CALs?

 

My LEA tells me they will not go upto 2008 yet due to the large cost of upgrading the CALS.

 

GJE

[jason2234]

i'm not familiar with what cals stands for