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NT 4.0 Migration to Windows Server 2003

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Hello All:
I’m about to embark on my first real project as a professional IT person and have a few questions regarding this project. First off, we are running a Windows NT 4.0 Domain with only one PDC and no BDC. Don’t ask me why this is like this, because I didn’t do it, but I must fix it. I am going to migrate to a W2k3 server domain, that will have a PDC and a BDC. The BDC will also be acting as a file server. My only problem is the migration path to take. We are a 24/7 business and time is of the essence for us, so any time down will cost us. That is why I want to make this as smooth as possible. I have been doing tons of research and I think my best bet is: Once the hardware is in place, install Windows NT 4.0 on the new hardware as a BDC and then promote it to a PDC. Next I will perform an in place upgrade to Windows Server 2003. This seems a little too easy to me and I’m sure I may be leaving something out. I am also keeping the original NT DC as a backup, just in case everything fails, I can put this NT DC back in place. Does this sound right? I have also been trying to use ADMT both v2 and 3 with no success. Can’t I just create the 75 or so users i have in there manually? There aren’t any special permissions set there. The person who was here before me had just set everybody up as ADMINISTRATOR.

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Clarifications

In reply to NT 4.0 Migration to Windows Server 2003

Clarifications

No that will not work smoothly

In reply to NT 4.0 Migration to Windows Server 2003

As NT4 has different Networking proprieties to Server 2003 you need to Migrate to 2003 by reading these directions and using what is suitable

http://tinyurl.com/dujsd

also read these as they are informative

http://tinyurl.com/4abs2p

http://tinyurl.com/3gv5yo

http://tinyurl.com/bqns

http://tinyurl.com/4kj7cz

That is a starting point for you at least.

Col

Migration.

In reply to NT 4.0 Migration to Windows Server 2003

W2k3 and Active directory doesn’t use the PDC/BDC model. When i migrated from NT to AD I created the AD network first,
then I created the accounts and migrated the printers (MS print migrator is a free tool). I left the data on the NT server and migrated users one by one to the new domain. We migrated the data and change to login scripts to point to the new server.
It was a hell of a weekened but all was running well on Monday. View the migration an opportunity the start fresh and introduce new policies, fix old data structure and apply security.

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