Overview of Restructuring Windows NT 4.0 Domains to an Active Directory Forest

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

If you are upgrading from Windows NT 4.0 domains to an Active Directory forest, you can consolidate your existing account and resource domains by restructuring them into a smaller number of larger Active Directory domains. You can restructure Windows NT 4.0 domains into Active Directory domains running the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 or Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows® Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; or Windows® Server 2003, Datacenter Edition operating systems.

Before you begin to restructure your Windows NT 4.0 domains, ensure that your organization has designed an Active Directory logical structure and a site topology. In a Windows 2000 environment, ensure that any domains that you plan to use as target domains are operating in Windows 2000 native mode. In a Windows Server 2003 environment, ensure that for any domains that you plan to use as target domains, you have raised the Active Directory domain functional level to Windows 2000 native or Windows Server 2003.

For more information about upgrading Windows NT 4.0 domains in-place, see "Upgrading Windows NT 4.0 Domains to Windows Server 2003 Active Directory" in this book.

After the restructuring process is complete, you can take advantage of the features available in Active Directory. By consolidating multiple Windows NT 4.0 account and resource domains into a single or a few Active Directory domains, you can create an Active Directory domain structure that is more efficient than your existing Windows NT 4.0 domain structure.

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