We have just purchased a new server and windows 2003 server standard edition and we are currently running on a Windows NT domain. We have run tests and can use the ADMTv2 tool to migrate all users from one domain to another but we dont want to do it this way.
We want to keep our existing domain and migrate all the users from the original server (NT4) to the new server (2003) so we can utilise AD. The ADMT only allows for migration between domains so that wont work. We cant setup 2003 as a different domain and then change the domain name as we need to keep the server functional level in Native mode as we need to migrate Emails accounts from 5.5 to Ex2003 (as I understand it) and we cant change the domain name with Ex2003 on the server as everything I have read states that it cant be done.
So my question is how can we migrate the NT4 accounts to 2003 in the same domain?
I have already been given the following solution:
Remove Win 2k3 from the new server and install NT 4.0 on it as a BDC while connected to your existing domain, promote to PDC then upgrade the new PDC to Win 2k3.
But this is not possible as the 2003 CD in not an upgrade CD. I have also had the following suggested:
1. format new server and install nt server as a backup domain controller
2. promote it
3. update new server with an evaluation version of server 2003
4. activate eval with 2003 serial number
But I’m not sure this is ok to do.
I can believe we are an isolated case, as all we require is to replace the existing server (inc H/W) with the new server H/W and account on the same domain.