View Full Version : Upgrade plan for Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 domain (with Exchange)


Brian Repinski
04-26-2006, 04:56 PM
I'm planning on upgrading the domain where I work and came up with my
game plan, but I'd love if someone could check it look to make sure that
I'm not missing anything.
I have a single domain (with a single ADC, and I know that sucks) with
Exchange 2000 installed on it's own member server and 5 other member
servers doing app and file serving tasks. All servers will be
upgraded/replaced with 2003 servers (2 member servers have already been
replaced with 2003 boxes with the same name).
The primary goal is to keep the existing domain intact so the users
don't really notice much (except that things get a lot better over the
next couple of weeks).

0: Full network backup
1: Put new 2003 Member Server on domain
2: Run /forestprep and /domainprep from Exchange 2003 CD
3: Install Active Directory on new 2003 server
4: Install Active Directory DNS on 2003 box
5: Move Global Catalog to 2003 box (kb313994)
6: Transfer FSMO roles to 2003 box (kb255690)
7: remove DHCP and WINS from 2000 box
8: Install WINS and DHCP on new 2003 box
9: Run DCPromo to demote 2000 server and promote 2003 server
10: Old 2000 ADC is now Member Server and remains online

I also wonder if it would be a better idea (quicker?) to install
Windows 2000 on the machine I want to make the new ADC, make it the new
ADC, move the DNS, WINS and DHCP services to it and then upgrade it to
Windows 2003.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.