Native Mode or not to Native Mode...

The first suggestion I have would be to download Microsoft's Windows 2000 Readiness Analyzer tool (RA). The tool analyzes your system and reports potentially incompatible hardware devices. [Of course, if you're going to buy new hardware the most intelligent thing to do is to start with a clean installation of Windows 2000].

However, this Readiness Analyzer tool also compares the devices on your existing system(s) against a list of known problem issues. Yes, this check will occur during your Windows 2000 Setup, but you can download the RA tool for free before buying and installing Windows 2000. This safety precaution helps you to insure that your installation will succeed and makes people appreciate your conservative approach. Additionally you'll learn a lot more about conflicts between your existing OS systems and Windows 2000. For now, chk out the following sites:
http://microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/ready.asp

Also, you can check the availability of a driver[there are over 7000 of these babies]for a specific device by running a
compatibility search. Chk out this site for driver help: http://microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/.

Windows 2000 is based significantly on the same code that built Windows
NT 4.0. Therefore, most programs that ran on the latter will also run on the former. In fact, most mainstream business programs that ran on NT 4.0 and Win98 run on Win 2000 satisfactorily with only occasional minor problems. Ideally, to exploit native Windows 2000 features intelligently one must purchase programs written specifically for Windows 2000! Then buy new equipment and start your installation of Windows 2000.

The first suggestion I had to your question was to download Microsoft's Windows 2000 Readiness Analyzer tool, but Microsoft says it no longer is available. They've replaced the tool with two (2) good analyzer routines found at: http://microsoft.com/windows2000/server/howtobuy/upgrading/compat/search/devices.asp

http://microsoft.com/windows2000/server/howtobuy/upgrading/compat/search/devices.asp

The tools there tonight analyze your system and report potentially incompatible hardware devices. [Of course, if you're going to buy new hardware the most intelligent thing to do is to start with a clean installation of Windows 2000 and you won't have to worry about possible problems and crashes!]. However, these two (2) routines also compares the devices on your existing system(s) against a list of known problem issues. Yes, this check will occur during your Windows 2000 Setup, but you'll get a FREE analysis before buying and installing Windows 2000.

Also, you can check the availability of a driver for a specific device by running a
compatibility search. SEE: http://microsoft.com/windows2000/upgrade/compat/.

Windows 2000 is based significantly on the same code that built Windows
NT 4.0. Therefore, most programs that ran on the latter will also run on the former. In fact, most mainstream business programs that ran on NT 4.0 and Win98 run on Windows 2000 with only a few minor problems. Ideally, to exploit native Windows 2000 features one must purchase programs written specifically for Windows 2000.

My first reply was partly incorrect. I corrected my answer within my second reply. Trust but verify my first response and accept my second as Gospel. My my limited experience in using an older version of Windows 2000 and the slim information I located on Microsoft's site left a lot to be desired, but I couldn't edit my answers after they were posted--the procedure for doing so is not clearly shown on techrepublic's site. Good luck. You'll do fine.

In win2k domain a nativ mode means that only
a windows 2000 domain controlers can operate
in the domain.in other words you cant have both win2k domain controler and nt 4 bdc.
however native mode It is not affecting the clients computers in any way.

Windows NT 4 and Windows 98 clients work fine in a Native mode environment providing you have installed the Directory Services Client. You need the DS Client for all the reasons that you need it in a mixed mode environment. i.e. the ability to update your password on any DC, the ability to use NTLM v2 authentication if you want extra security, and the ability to query a Global Catalog Server.

Remember that swapping to native mode doesn't stop your down level clients from needing to use WINS,so that will need to be installed on Win2K.

The main issue with going to native made is Domain Controller/Application based. Once you switch then none of your NT 4 BDCs will be updated and you may find that some applications nolonger work (old versions of software usually).

We currently operate in Native Mode with NT4, 98, 95 2000, ME, XP and even a few 3.11 clients. We have had no problems with authenticating any client machine to the domain. We can even trust 4.0 domains while running in Native Mode. This is a great feature because l0phtcrack will not be able to get passwords from the domain in native mode; however, it can with mixed. If you are ready, I would say go for it. We have had no problems with 5000+ workstations. Kudos to Gates this time anyway

Win nt4.0 will survive but win98 has to be retired from the strong secutity networks.
Consider first to move all your wks to win2k and let the server for the last big challenge
Why? because if you move all the server to win2k you won't be able to deploy the most usefull win2k tools: The desktop management tools. This is the very advance for administrators.
You can move winnt and win9X clients to win2k without much problem, once you have more that a half clients running win2k, then you can start deployment a new server or start moving your server from winnt to win2k.
The most importance of this move should be related to links. When a slow link may exist, win2k won't work as winnt. It simply needs more BW. Be carefull now the domain replication model will take as much as 10% of BW available, for heartbeat only.

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