Upgrading to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
Please note: Portions of this transcript have been edited for clarity
Hosts:
- John Baker, TechNet Presenter
- Blain Barton, TechNet Presenter
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
A big good morning, good afternoon and good evening to everyone (depending on where you are). Microsoft is pleased to chat with you today on Upgrading to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. This chat will last one hour.
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
Let's meet our hosts. Hello Hosts! Both of our hosts are part of the TechNet Events team. They travel the US training customers on Microsoft technology. To find a TechNet Event near you: www.technetevents.com.
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
I am Jana Carter and manage the chat program for Microsoft.
Host: John (Microsoft)
Hi, I’m John, I’m a Technet presenter based out of the Atlanta office. I present TechNet sessions in the Carolinas and Georgia.
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Welcome, I'm a TechNet Presenter for the Florida Region, Moved from Redmond last summer to move to the sun from Seattle. I've been with MSFT 10 years and like working with all of you! Once again welcome,
Resource Center:
What's new in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/activedirectory.mspx
For those of you that are moving from NT 4.0 to Server 2003 and Active Directory and great place to go is:
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/top10nt.mspx
Starting fresh with Windows Server 2003 Active Directory try
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/activedirectory.mspx
We encourage you to visit the Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Technology Center: https://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;winsvr2003ad
Another useful site is the Developer Resources for Active Directory: https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/nhp/default.asp?contentid=28000413
Active Directory newsgroup: https://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx?newsgroup=microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory&SCLID=US&ICP=GSS3&sd=TECH&id=fh;en-us;newsgroups.
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: Should I go to Interim mode rather than messing with W2K Mixed and Native?
A: If you’re upgrading from NT4 and will never have a Windows 2000 Domain Controller in your environment you should go to interim mode as you will get more Windows Server 2003 functionality than you would in Mixed or Windows 2000 mode.
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: Is there a step by step tutorial that shows how to migrate user's folders, and profiles to a new domain controller without changing the SID information, and file permissions and without having to change the path for each individual user
A: You can go to run the Active Directory Migration Tool and get the details at https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=788975b1-5849-4707-9817-8c9773c25c6c&DisplayLang=en
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: Will Windows 98 Active Directory client work with 2003 AD?
A: The Active Directory Client for Windows 98 should work with Windows 2003.
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: Do you recommend an in place upgrade for Windows 2000 native mode DCs or setting up a new 2003 server and then decommissioning the old one?
A: You can get the information like Once all domain controllers are running on Windows Server 2003, you can raise the Domain and Forest Functionality to Windows Server 2003 by opening Active Directory Domains and Trusts, right clicking the Raise Domain Functional Level. Note that once you raise the domain functional level, domain controllers running earlier operating systems cannot be introduced into the domain. You can get the white paper at : https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/win2k/w2ktows03-2.mspx
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: What do I get when move to Windows Server 2003 native that I don't have with Windows 2000 native?
A: In Windows Server 2003 the forest functionality and the domain functionality can be at different levels. For example, when a Windows NT 4 Domain is upgraded to Windows Server 2003 the Domain functionality is Windows 2000 Mixed and the forest functionality
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: I just recently completed upgrading all of my servers from NT4 to W2K. It was a disaster on every PC that was upgraded rather than a fresh install. How is the upgrade process on Windows 2003 server any better?
A: Well the hard part is completed and that was going to Active Directory, for more info go to https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/win2k/w2ktows03-2.mspx
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: Where can I find information on what the differences are between the different functional levels?
A: The following whitepaper has a chart that shows what functionality is available based on the forest and domain “Migrating Windows Server 4.0 to Windows Sever 2003 Active Directory”
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/nt4/nt4tows03-2.mspx
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
Q: Can I use the GPMC with Windows 2000?
A: GPMC is able to manage both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003-based domains with the Active Directory service. Read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/gpmc/gpmcintro.mspx
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: Yes, they don’t roam... it copies all the files to the local computer, but the settings doesn’t follow
A: Profiles and Roaming User Profiles Answers at
https://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/en-us/management/manage_faq.mspx
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: How do I tell if my NT4 server can handle the Windows Server 2003 upgrade?
A: See the following link for requirements for Windows Server 2003
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/sysreqs/default.mspx
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: Is 2003 missing any fixes that were recently released with W2k/SP4?
A: You can get a list of all the fixes at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/prodtech/win2000/w2ksp4.mspx
Host: John (Microsoft)
Q: Is the Active Directory Faster in Win2003 over Windows 2000? I know the system is but is Active Directory?
A: Active Directory performance is greatly improved in Windows Server 2003. For example in Windows 2000 Active Directory if you add a user to a group, the whole group membership has to be replicated to the other Windows 2000 domain controllers. In Windows Server 2003 only the new member is replicated to the other domain controllers.
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: So what is missing in Windows 2003?
A: Other performance improvements:
Disabling Compression of Inter-Site Replication Traffic
Clustered Virtual Server Support
Concurrent LDAP Binds
Domain Controller Overload Prevention
Global Catalog Replication Tuning
Group Membership Replication Improvements
LDAP Extended to Support Time to Live (TTL) for Dynamic Entries
Support for 64-bit Deployment
See the following link for more detail:
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview/activedirectory.mspx
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: What is the best source of info on Active Directory for Windows Server 2003?
A: What's new in Active Directory for 2003?
https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/technologies/activedirectory.mspx
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
Q: What are the top "10" features for Windows Server 2003?
A: Look at number one folks! at https://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/top10nt.mspx
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
Thanks for joining us today. It is time for us to wrap this up. Thank you to our hosts and thanks to you all for the great questions. If you would like to ask more questions, we encourage you to visit the: Active Directory newsgroup:
https://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx?newsgroup=microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory&SCLID=US&ICP=GSS3&sd=TECH&id=fh;en-us;newsgroups.
Moderator: Jana (Microsoft)
Please visit https://www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/default.mspx for a list of upcoming chats (held in various languages).
Host: Blain (Microsoft)
It was a pleasure
Host: John (Microsoft)
Goodbye....hope to see you at the next TechNet chat!
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