Enable the Windows Server 2003 Interim Forest Functional Level

  • Article

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

If all domain controllers in the existing forest are running Windows Server 2003, the functional level of the forest is set at Windows 2000, and the functional level of the forest root domain is set at Windows 2000 mixed, you can raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim. Raising the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim is recommended in order to take advantage of the Windows Server 2003 Active Directory features available at that level. However, if you are considering adding Windows 2000–based domain controllers to your environment at any time, you can maintain the Windows 2000 forest functional level and still upgrade your Windows NT 4.0 domains.

Raise the forest functional level in the existing forest to Windows Server 2003 interim before upgrading the PDC and joining the existing forest during the Active Directory installation. By raising the forest functional level in the existing forest before you upgrade the PDC, any additional domains that you upgrade as regional domains will automatically join the Windows Server 2003 forest at the Windows Server 2003 interim domain functional level.

Important

  • If you raise the forest and domain functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim, you cannot return to the Windows 2000 mixed domain functional level or to the Windows 2000 forest functional level. After you raise the functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim, the environment only supports Windows NT 4.0– and Windows Server 2003–based domain controllers. You can no longer add Windows 2000–based domain controllers into this environment.

You cannot use Active Directory administrative consoles to raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim. Instead, use a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) application such as ADSI Edit or LDP in Windows Support Tools to edit the value of the msDS-Behavior-Version attribute. You must be a member of the Enterprise Admins group to raise the forest functional level, and you must do this on the domain controller that holds the schema master role.

To raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim by using ADSI Edit

  1. In ADSI Edit, expand the Configuration partition, expand CN=Configuration,DC=forestname,DC=domainname,DC=com

  2. Right-click CN=Partitions, and then click Properties.

  3. Select the msDS-Behavior-Version attribute, and then click Edit.

  4. In the Value field, type 1 to raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim, and then click OK.

For more information about raising functional levels, see "Enabling Advanced Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Features" in this book.