Develop a Test Plan

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

Develop a plan for testing your in-place domain upgrade procedures throughout the in-place domain upgrade process to ensure that they have completed successfully and to determine whether the process of upgrading Windows NT 4.0 domains to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory was successful.

Table 8.2 lists the Active Directory configurations that you must test and the tools that you can use to test each configuration. For more information about the options that are available for these tools, see "Active Directory support tools" in Windows Server 2003 Help on the Microsoft Web site. For more information about specific configuration and functionality tests that you can perform before and after the Active Directory installation, see the Active Directory link on the Web Resources page at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources. Search under "Administration and Configuration Guides" and download the Active Directory Operations Guide.

Table 8.2   Active Directory Configuration Test Components

Configuration Tool Purpose

Active Directory service

Dcdiag.exe

Tests for successful Active Directory connectivity and functionality. Confirms that the domain controller has passed the diagnostic tests (such as connectivity and replicated objects). Each test must return a "passed" result.

 

Netdiag.exe

Diagnoses networking and connectivity problems by performing a series of tests to determine the state of your network client and whether it is functional.

Active Directory replication

Repadmin.exe /replsum

Returns all replication events taking place between the forest root domain and other Active Directory domain controllers. This must return a successful replication event with all inbound and outbound replication partners.

BDC replication status

Nltest.exe /bdc_query:domainname

Shows connection status for all the BDCs. This must show "status = success" for each domain controller within the domain.

After you confirm that the Active Directory configuration is correct, you need to verify that Active Directory is functioning correctly. Table 8.3 lists the Active Directory functions that you need to test and the methods that you can use to perform the tests.

Table 8.3   Active Directory Functionality Test Components

Function Test Method

Trust relationships

Verify the transitive trusts with the parent domain and the one-way trusts with Windows NT 4.0 domains.

Use the verify feature in Active Directory Domains and Trusts on the upgraded PDC to validate the trust relationships that are in place.

New user creation

Create a new user on the Windows Server 2003–based domain controller.

Log on with administrator credentials and use Active Directory Users and Computers to verify that the new user was created successfully.

New user object replication

After replication to BDCs takes place, determine whether new user is replicated to BDCs.
  1. Type Net User at a command prompt on a Windows NT 4.0–based domain controller, and then verify that the new user account exists.

  2. Modify a property of an existing user and verify that the modified property replicates with the user.

Successful logon request

Verify that users can log on successfully.
  1. Disconnect the Windows Server 2003–based domain controller to confirm that the Windows NT 4.0–based domain controller is validating the user logon request.

  2. Verify that you can log on successfully by using the new user account credentials from each client computer.

  3. Verify that all client operating systems in the upgraded domain and the domains that it trusts can log on successfully.

  4. Repeat step number two over trust relationships where the trusting domain controller has a secure channel with the Windows NT 4.0–based and Windows Server 2003–based domain controllers in the trusted domain.

Successful resource access

Verify that the user can access important resources.
  1. Access e-mail resources.

  2. Access roaming profiles.

  3. Access printers.

  4. Resource permissions belonging to the user and a group.