How to setup a Backup Domain Controller

NT and 2000 servers don't work together very well. The the 2000 server uses Active Directory, which NT 4 can't recognize. One option would be to upgrade the NT box to 2000 and then bring up the second server. 2000 doesn't use the old Primary and Backup versions, it just uses Active Directory.

Personnally, if you aren't having any problems with the NT box, I would leave it alone. Then bring the 2000 server up as a stand-alone. The downside to this is you wouldn't have a backup if your domain crashed.

I'm sure that someone else will have a different opinion to this, and I'll be interested in seeing it to. I have been avoiding upgrading to 2000, because I have a NT server that runs very well for me. Good luck whichever way you go! Roger

Keys to coextince between NT4 server and Win2K Server.

1. Win2K domain controllers CANNOT exist in a NT4 domain.
2. Win2K stand-alone servers can exist in a NT4 domain.
3. NT4 BDCs can exist in a Win2K Active Directory (AD) domain.
4. To migrate an NT4 domain to a Win2K domain, Win2K (and AD) must be installed on the NT4 PDC (not a BDC).

If you want to maintain your NT4 domain (instead of migrating to Win2K), and create a BDC for it, you will need to uninstall Win2K from your new server and install NT4.