NT4.0 server to Windows 2003

[Sam_128]

Currently we have an old NT4.0 PDC, no BDC and Exchange 5.5.

Recently we joined with other company, which have Windows 2003 PDC Server and Exchange 2003.

My question is:
Can we replace, demote and assign the 2003 machine to the NT domain?
Move user accounts from NT to 2003, and then remove the NT.4 PDC from network? Assign Exchange 2003 to the NT.4 domain, and then move userâ s accounts, mail boxes, public folder from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003?

We would like to use the old NT.4 domain and old Exchange names. We simply want to retain the domain, but replace the PDC with a 2003 server.

Regards to all,

Sala

[Steven Clementi]

Upgrade the NT4 Domain Controller to Windows 2003.

Want to test it first? If you have a spare PC that you can build another NT4 box on, set it up as a BDC. Once complete, remove it from your production network and promote it to the PDC. Reboot, afterwards upgrade to Windows 2003 and AD.

Another option would be to drop your NT4 domain and do a "domain Rename" on the Windows 2003 box (sounds scary? It cas be!)
The question then becomes, how do you migrate your EXC 5.5 users to EXC 2003.

First, create a trust between the 2 domains, 2 one way trusts so there are no issues. Use a migration tool to migrate the 5.5 users over to 2003, then do the domain rename. Alternatively, you can install an exchange 2003 box into your 2003 domain (after you upgrade the pdc to 2003) and use the ADC to migrate users over to Exchange 2003. Create a trust relationship between the 2 2003 AD's and leave all the hardware in place.

Looking to consolidate as well, there are ways.

Now, to answer your questions... 1. You should be able to join a Windows 2003 machine to an NT4 domain, but if you demote an AD controller, you will lose all your user/computer accounts as well as hose the exchange installation since it relies on AD.
2. You can just "assign" the exc2003 box to an NT4 domain, it needs to be in an AD (thus the need to upgrade your NT4 domain first)

I hope some of this makes sense, I lost myself a bit 3 minutes ago.

Steven

[Joseph T. Wyckoff]

Wow.

First of all, spend about $500 buying the resource kit, and various training manuals for Windows 2003.

In the long run, it will be worth it.

Also in the long run, you will probably want to migrate to the w2k/w2k3 platform. There is a learning curve, but I think it is better in MANY ways than old NT.

I have been with NT since the tail end of NT 3.1 (altho mostly 3.51) - and I really do feel w2k, etc is better. But it is different.

W2k, etc has a compatibility mode. It allows your NT4 environment to be upgraded into the newer environment, sortof.

You would have a w2k3 box running as a domain controller - with a layer of software to emulate a PDC.

So the upgrade would be something like...

Add an NT4 BDC (or several!). Get it stable in your environment. Take a BDC OFFLINE someplace where it wont get corrupt. Promote your new BDC to PDC. W2k will call this a DC. Upgrade it. Install the compatibility layer.

The methodolgy was in the w2k resource kit - deployment planning guide, I think. In the new resource kit I see three titles it may be in.

Good Luck