I’d like to pose this question to see what my alternatives are.
We have an aging P-III W2K server that is the DC for our domain. It is our only Windows server. Exchange is NOT used here.
We have procured a newer P4 W2k3 server to replace it. The current plan is to decommission the old server on completion of the migration process.
Presently, it appears that I have two options:
1- Prepare the domain for insertion of a w2k3 server into it, bring up the new server as a member server in the same domain, promote it and transfer all the functions and finally demote and remove the old server.
or 2- bring up the w2k3 server as a new forest/domain, create the necessary trusts, migrate the functions, then remove the old forest/domain and rename the new one.
We would really like to be able to keep the current domain name as something else would be kinda goofy. (we’re using businessname.local)
I haven’t found anything in Microsoft’s documentation that clearly says you can re-use the old name. Then again, all their scenarios are based on enterprise models which use more than one server.
Any thoughts, advice, recommendations and pitfalls to avoid would be appreciated.
Gary