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  • December 4, 2001 at 1:28 am #2131826

    Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

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    by gjudy · about 20 years, 5 months ago

    We have a large 22 remote location network with about 300 mixed Windows 95, 98 and Nt4 Workstation computers. We have 1 PDC at our operations center and a BDC at each remote location as well as a BDC here at our operations center. We want to upgradeour PDC here and our BDC here at the operations center to Windows 2000 Server. What things do we need to watch out for and what downside or upside is there to doing this. We also want to migrate our network to all 22 remote locations to Windows 2000server but take about 3 months to do so.

    Please give any pro’s and con’s and any steps we need to follow and things to do ahead of time.

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    • December 4, 2001 at 5:15 am #3546947

      Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      by glenfahan · about 20 years, 5 months ago

      In reply to Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      Things to watch out for:

      First I would either create a BDC and syncronize it. Then take it off line to preserve the SAM. Or take off an existing BDC.

      The pro is when you’re all done you can go to native mode and implement Active Directory. You can also begin using DFS.

      I really don’t know of any technical cons, just the expense of upgrading all the CAL’s.

    • December 4, 2001 at 8:36 am #3548332

      Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      by mvaris · about 20 years, 5 months ago

      In reply to Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      Chapter 10, Deployment Planning Guide, Windows 2000 Resource Kit. It is your domain migration’s best friend.

      Back up your file and print services or DHCP services that are running on your PDC or BDCs. Test the tapes.

      Fully synchronize all BDCs with the PDC. Take one offline for disaster recovery of upgrade, upgrade it to PDC and check the data.

      Have contingency plans and utilize them. Don’t keep going if any part of the upgrade seems to fail.

    • December 4, 2001 at 12:17 pm #3548236

      Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      by joseph moore · about 20 years, 5 months ago

      In reply to Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      In addition to the very accurate answers so far:

      It sounds like you run 1 domain, with your remote locations being connected by lease lines (T1s, ISDN, etc). You can keep the same single domain AD structure in your new rollout. If so, then I suggest setting up each remote location as its own Site. You would then set up the computers and users who only log in at these remote Sites within the Sites themselves. This logically organizes all of the objects. (and yes, users are objects just like printers and computers; we are no longer individuals! Sounds Borg-like.) Sites look very nice on paper for management-types too!
      Here is a URL on AD structure:
      http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/planning/activedirectory/adsites.asp
      (please remove any spaces)

      Hope this helps.

    • December 5, 2001 at 7:58 am #3545501

      Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      by matt y · about 20 years, 5 months ago

      In reply to Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      – Sync the BDC with the PDC and take it offline in case you need to roll back.
      – AD requires that DNS server be on the network so if you don’t have one you can choose to install DNS on the PDC you are upgrading. W2K uses DNS for name resolution but is also backwards compatible with NetBIOS so be aware.
      – Your domain must run in mixed mode until all of the BDC have been upgraded to W2K b/c if you switch to native mode your BDC’s will no longer be able to sync with AD.
      – Make sure your documentation is up-to-date because some programs and drivers might not be compatible.
      – You will love the centralized user administration and group policies. Service Pack installs w/ GPO’s are the best, it will save you a lot of time down the road.

      Good luck.

    • March 4, 2002 at 2:56 pm #3573744

      Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      by gjudy · about 20 years, 2 months ago

      In reply to Upgrade NT4PDC to Windows 2000 Server

      This question was auto closed due to inactivity

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