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Change domain server in Windows 2000?

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by dunneman 1 view

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I am the network administrator of a small company with a network of two domains. On one of the domains, I have two Windows 2000 servers running Small Business Server 2000. One of them is a domain server, and one is not. My boss would like the one that is not currently a domain server to be a domain server to become a domain server, and the one that is currently a domain server, to cease being a domain server. Is this possible without starting from scratch? If not, I will have to move a whole lot of data from one server to the other, and then reinstall all the applications on the other server.

6 replies

by sgt_shultz

wow. time to ask boss for managing windows 2000 server book. you do not mention enuf for us to give you steps and i have never done a domain server change in 2000. but the good news is that it supposed to be easy in 2000.
i suggest you visit www.microsoft.com and the technet 'how to' section for free white papers on how to do all this stuff...

by cg it

you can make the member server a domain controller and replicate Active Directory and Global Catalog, then you can DCpromo demote the current primary DC to a member server. BUT and this is a BIG BUTT Small Business Server 2000 comes with Exchange 2000 and ISA server 2000. If you have these installed on the server you want to demote, you will mostly like lose your email server.

by cg it

Microsoft Help and Support Article 278439 [part 1] AND 290603 [part 2] Migration from SBS 4.5 to SBS 2000 concepts apply to migrating to new hardware. here's MS's quote : "NOTE: Although the exact steps may differ, the same basic concepts apply when you migrate a SBS 2000 installation to new hardware."

It's not an easy chore and as I mentioned Exchange is really the biggest problem in losing data. SQL server is also a huge headache [thought not so bad if it's on member server and you use the same server names. problems stem from reestablishing the connectors fro SBS to SQL. Users will just have to live with it if there is lost data.

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