Adding a first 2008 R2 DC - restart the other DC's?

[pnlrogue1]

Hi guys

 

We're looking at adding a 2008 R2 DC to an existing 2003 environment. I know that I'll have to update the AD schema with adprep on the Schema Master etc, but will I have to reboot my DCs?

 

I ask as I remember adding a 2008 R1 DC to a 2003 environment and raising the functional level. When we raised the level, we had to restart all the DCs but I don't remember if I had to do this after preparing AD for the first server as well

 

Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

[soveryapt]

Hiya

 

I did a staggered upgrade over the summer (2 x 2003 R2 servers upgraded to 2008 R2 one at a time to allow for backups and network still working etc).

 

I don't remember having to restart once I'd upgraded the Schema. In terms of the functional level, don't you want to leave this as is anyway unless you're replacing all servers to run 2008R2 - in which case, wait until you've done the whole upgrade before doing it. I might be wrong (I normally am .. lol) but don't you need to leave it at a suitable level for your 2003 machines to be able to access?

[sonofsanta]

Functional level is based on the lowest common denominator, aye, so as long as there is a single 2003 server on your domain your functional level will still need to be 2003. Only once everything is 2008 can you up the level to 2k8.

[timzim]

Will it even let you raise the FL if you've still got 2003 DCs? I don't think so.

[soveryapt]

Oo .. appears I was right! That makes a change! lol ..

[bio]

Functional level is based on the lowest common denominator, aye, so as long as there is a single 2003 server on your domain your functional level will still need to be 2003. Only once everything is 2008 can you up the level to 2k8.

 

Sorry to say this is not true. Functional levels are only applicable for domain controllers. You can only upgrade to a higher level if all domain controllers are running that level. Offcourse you can run a windows 2008 R2 forest & domain and still have windows 2003 member servers.

 

bio

[sonofsanta]

Sorry to say this is not true. Functional levels are only applicable for domain controllers. You can only upgrade to a higher level if all domain controllers are running that level. Offcourse you can run a windows 2008 R2 forest & domain and still have windows 2003 member servers.

 

bio

 

Indeed you are right - my bad.

 

Although from what I can glean from OP, he is talking about other 2k3 DC's, so luckily I'm not incorrect, just not particularly specific!

[pnlrogue1]

Sorry - should have made things clearer!

 

Not planning on raising the functional level (yet), I was just trying to illustrate that I remember restarting *at some point* including when raising the level!

 

So general consensus is that I will probably not need to restart

 

Thank you!

[dhoward_westexetc]

I didn't have to reboot our 2003 DCs when I added our 2008 R2 DC to the domain. I just updated the AD schema and bolted the 2008 R2 DC onto the existing 2003 DCs to allow it to run side by side. The function level is still 2003.

 

If you have 2003 DCs in your domain the function level must be 2003, but 2008 R2 works fine with this. Only when you retire all 2003 DCs can you raise function level (to 2008 if you have 2008 SP2 DCs, or 2008 R2 level if all your DCs are 2008 R2).

 

In both cases for 2008 and 2008 R2 function levels, you can have 2003 servers (or XP clients for that matter) as domain members, just not as domain controllers.