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Ed Bott's Microsoft Challenge--10/19/00

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by ebott

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Conventional IT wisdom says you should roll out complex network changes in stages. But which stage comes first? That question comes from a TechRepublic member who's about to launch a major Windows 2000 deployment. "We have gone through the servers in question with the Compatibility Analyzer," he writes, "and have identified various drivers and applications that need updating. But now what? We're upgrading a PDC, BDC, Exchange Server, and a server for a browser-based proprietary application thatties pretty tightly to IIS4. The Compatibility Analyzer recommends we upgrade the PDC first. Should we down all workstations and secondary servers before performing the upgrade? Or should we down the BDC & Exchange Server before upgrading the PDC? Also, how concerned should we be about major differences with the new version of IIS?" If you can help sort out this upgrade puzzle, you could earn a fistful of TechPoints. As always, the best responses will appear in my next Microsoft Challenge column.

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by shanghai sam

There are really pre steps that should come before upgrading any of the servers providing you have the resources.

First, make sure that your servers and services are running at least the required level of service pack/driver required to do the upgrade. If you need to apply a service pack then let the service pack run for awhile to make sure it doesn't create problems before upgrading.

Second, make firm decisions in what features of W2K you plan on implementing. Particularly in the use of Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP. If you plan on implementing AD you would need to do the PDC first as this will directly affect the upgrades of the other servers. Particularly the Exchange server.

Third, before upgrading the IIS server it would behighly recommended to perform the upgrade on an identically setup test server. I mention this because you stated that your running proprietary apps againt it and a situation like that could be tricky during an upgrade.

You will want to keep the other servers on-line when you upgrade the PDC. This will give you the first indication of trouble when the upgraded server comes back up as they will be attempting to contact the PDC for account updates, browsing, etc...

Of course, the most important step in any upgrade. Backups, backups, backups!

by magetower

There are really pre steps that should come before upgrading any of the servers providing you have the resources.

First, make sure that your servers and services are running at least the required level of service pack/driver required to do the upgrade. If you need to apply a service pack then let the service pack run for awhile to make sure it doesn't create problems before upgrading.

Second, make firm decisions in what features of W2K you plan on implementing. Particularly in the use of Active Directory, DNS, and DHCP. If you plan on implementing AD you would need to do the PDC first as this will directly affect the upgrades of the other servers. Particularly the Exchange server.

Third, before upgrading the IIS server it would behighly recommended to perform the upgrade on an identically setup test server. I mention this because you stated that your running proprietary apps againt it and a situation like that could be tricky during an upgrade.

You will want to keep the other servers on-line when you upgrade the PDC. This will give you the first indication of trouble when the upgraded server comes back up as they will be attempting to contact the PDC for account updates, browsing, etc...

Of course, the most important step in any upgrade. Backups, backups, backups!

by magetower

The W2K Resource Kits have an IIS Migration Wizard you may want to look into for your situation. Still suggest a lab test run though.

by shanghai sam

Well there are many ways to approach this situation but first a good lab if you have some spare PC's would be great. Take a spare machine and build it as a BDC in the active domain. Take it off the network. Upgrade it to PDC still off line. Install 2000 server and see how all your account information comes over. This should give you an Idea how your Domain accounts are going to come over. Also you can now play with the admin tools on this server to get how you want to design your new AD domain.
Next blow that machine away or take a new machine and build it as a Win2000 Doman Controller in its own Domain on your active network. Work out all your DNS and network conectivity issues. Once you have figured all this out time to get ready for your AD upgrade. Remove the all test machines from the network. Build a BDC in your NT4.0 Domain let it synch up then take it off line and put it in a safe place, this is your rollback insurance.Decide which machine between your Current Domain controllers is the most powerful and best location. Make it your PDC and proceed to upgrade this server first. If you are going to be upgrading your Exchange server to 2000 I would do that next to extend the AD Schema. If not I would upgrade your BDC next. At this point once the BDC is upgraded you can turn on Native mode for AD. This gives you all the 2000 features. You can then proceed to upgrade workstations adding them to the new 2000 AD. The last machine I would tackle would be theIIS server. You need to lab this server. Build a 2000 lab or use the one that you built earlier and took to an offline lab in the first step. But build a second server in that lab as NT4.0 with IIS4.0 and all your custom apps then upgrade the server in the lab. This should smoke out all the problems. Remember early on you can always back out and bring that closeted BDC back on line manke it your temporary PDC and get bac

by lastsurvivor

The above timed out submitted by Last Survivor
First a good lab is essential if you have some spare PC's would be great. Take a spare machine and build it as a BDC in the active domain. Take it off the network. Upgrade it to PDC still off line. Install 2000 server and see how all your account information comes over. This should give you an Idea how your Domain accounts are going to come over. Play with the admin tools on this server to get how you want to design your new AD domain. Take another machine and build it as a Win2000 Domain Controller in its own Domain on your active network. Work out all your DNS and network conectivity issues. This should get you ready for your AD upgrade. Build a BDC in your NT4.0 Domain let it synch up then take it off line and put it in a safe place, this is your rollback insurance. Decide which machine between your Current Domain controllers is the most powerful and best location. Make it your PDC and proceed to upgrade this server first. If you are going to be upgrading your Exchange server to 2000 I would do that next to extend the AD Schema. If not I would upgrade your BDC next. At this point once the BDC is upgraded you can turn on Native mode for AD. This gives you all the 2000 features. You can then proceed to upgrade workstations adding them to the new 2000 AD. The last machine I would tackle would be the IIS server. You need to lab this server. Build a 2000 lab or use the one that you built earlier and took to an offline lab in the first step. But build a second server in that lab as NT4.0 with IIS4.0 and all your custom apps then upgrade the server in the lab. This should smoke out all the problems. Remember early on you can always back out and bring that closeted BDC back on line manke it your temporary PDC and get back to an NT4.0 functioning domain. As stated earlier backups can save the day. Good luck.

by seanevans

Before proceeding you must provide a fallback to NT4 by creating a new BDC, synch it with the existing domain and take it offline. Now you can upgrade the PDC to 2K, but keep in mind that this should be done offline until the AD installation portionof the upgrade is ready to begin. Once the upgrade is complete and all seems to functioning well start upgrading other DC's and exchange. Don't leave your RAS servers until last and above all check and double check DNS. Any DNS issues will prevent the AD from functioning correctly. Also make sure that all of your DC's are time synch'd together or the security policies and domain synch's will begin to fail. Other than that cross your fingers and pray. We have performed the "migration" 3 times.

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