Enabling Windows Server 2003 Functional Levels in a Native Windows 2000 Environment

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

If the domains in your Windows 2000 forest include only Windows 2000 domain controllers and are in Windows 2000 native mode, deploy a Windows Server 2003–based domain controller to enable functional levels.

For more information about deploying Windows Server 2003 in a Windows 2000 environment, see "Upgrading from Windows 2000 Domains to Windows Server 2003 Domains" in this book.

In an environment that contains only domain controllers running Windows 2000, you can introduce a Windows Server 2003–based domain controller in one of two ways:

  • By installing a new Windows Server 2003–based domain controller.

  • By upgrading an existing Windows 2000 domain controller in the forest to Windows Server 2003.

Functional levels are set by default to the following levels, and they remain at these levels until they are raised manually:

  • Windows 2000 native domain functional level

  • Windows 2000 forest functional level

Note

To take advantage of the Windows Server 2003 domain-level features without waiting to complete the upgrade of your Windows 2000 forest to Windows Server 2003, raise only the domain functional level to Windows Server 2003. Before you raise the domain functional level, you must upgrade all Windows 2000–based domain controllers in the domain to Windows Server 2003.

After you upgrade all Windows 2000–based domain controllers in the forest to Windows Server 2003, make sure that the domain functional level of each domain is set to Windows 2000 native or higher. Then raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003. Raising the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 automatically raises the functional level of all domains in the forest that are set to Windows 2000 native or higher to Windows Server 2003.