Advice needed from people who have upgraded to 2003 R2

[Kyle]

I found the below on a Server 2003 website. what i want to know in simple terms is this.

1.If i want to upgrade to R2 can i just install R2 on the print server which is just a member server.

2. If not do i have to update the schema first on one of the DC (with the FSMO roles) before i can add R2 onto any server.

3. I understand that some of the new functions can be used with R2 without udpdating the schema?

 

Have o got this correct or not?

 

When you extend the schema, you do not have to upgrade your existing

domain controllers to Windows Server 2003 R2; they can continue to run

Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Note, however, that Identity

Management for UNIX must be installed on a Windows Server 2003 R2 domain

controller. DFS Replication Service and Print Management Console can run

on any computer running Windows Server 2003 R2.

 

You must also extend the schema the first time that you upgrade an

existing domain controller to Windows Server 2003 R2 or you install Active

Directory on a computer running Windows Server 2003 R2 to make it a domain

controller. You must extend the schema before you perform either of these

actions for the first time in an existing forest. If you install Active

Directory on a computer running Windows Server 2003 R2 to make it the

first domain controller in a new forest, you do not have to extend the

schema. The schema extension occurs automatically as the forest is

created.

[Gatt]

1) Yes, but to push printers out via GPO then no.

2) No, though i would recommend upgrading your DC's to R2 and extending the Schema anyway.

3) Correct, Printer Deployment & UNIX services need a schema upgrade as you've stated, there are probably a few other tools, but most should work without a schema update.

 

I'm not sure on how youd domain will work with only ur print server upgraded to R2 - cos I upgraded all servers to R2 so got no idea how R2 interacts in a mixed environment.

 

I would recommend upgrading the DCs that hold your FSMO to R2 - esp GC - and extending the schema if you plan to use the PMC..

[Norphy]

R2 servers work perfectly well as member servers. We have a 2003 domain with two or three R2 members. All of our DCs are plain 2003 SP1 and the R2 features work perfectly.

[Kyle]

So if i want to push printers out via GPO i must upgrade the schema?

 

But thanks for helping me on this,

[kingswood]

Yes- it has something to do with the way clients search through GPOs looking for printer assignments.

 

We installed the R2 printer management tool today and it works brilliantly! Much better than our seriously failing printer start scripts applied by our friends at CSE....

[tarquel]

Is the R2 printer management tool very good - in the sense of controlling quota's etc?

 

Or will I still need my Print Manager Plus on the system? [that will undoubtedly break as its about a year old now and we didnt / couldnt afford the maintainance fee]

 

Nath.

[steve]

@tarquel

2003 r2 only has disk usage quotas - not print quotas, so you'll want to keep PMP for those at least. The management of the printers is a bit better, only major plus is the deployment via GPO's.

[tarquel]

Right-o - was just wondering as I've got the Media sitting here in front of me and we've ordered for licenses [with SA too] so I did wonder.

 

Now I have to wonder whether PMP will still work on R2 :S :S

 

Nath

[k-strider]

all our servers are R2 now and we use PMP 5.5 it works fine...

[kingswood]

Update: we moved *all* of our print management to the R2 tool set last week. Easy to deploy and works first time. It's good to go!

[Norphy]

It doesn't work too well for Windows 2000 clients though so be warned. Per machine printer assignment doesn't work at all and per user is patchy.