ROT: Windoze Servers...

Have a small voluntary organisation who we do odd little bits of support for. Been let down pretty badly by their 'official' support company, who basically have just told them they they have enough business not to have to worry abot little charities any longer so they can bugger off...

There are a couple of immediate issues the organisation needs to address, and for some odd reason, I've allowed myself to be 'volunteered' into helping them...

They currently have a Windows NT4 server whith three patritions on one drive as:

Build (C:) System (D:) Data (E:)

they have 'shared profiles' - so any of the advisors can login via any machine and get their own desktop, notes etc. There are individual and group folders on the data drive/partition.

They run a local DNS on the same box, that's about all.

They have been given a new server with licensed Windows 2000 Advanced Server and need it to take over from the old - not long for this life, NT4 box.

I have no real idea where to start, so can anyone who knows about Doze domains and Active Directory type stuff - please give me a quick run down of the various terms and relationships? Also, some key into migrating the stuff and services on the NT4 box to the Win2KAS box?

I've got myself a little confused with the domain controller stuff and promoting one to 'tother etc...

I did suggest they move to a *nix solution, but the blank stares made me feel better to stick with what they sort of know...

Reply to
Mother
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It's 3:40am and I'm rescuing a dead Doze server so I can't help you right now.... if nobody gives you the help you need then tomorrow once I wake up I'll drop you an email.

Reply to
EMB

vanilla NT4 or the SBS version?

What is 'build'? source/install images?

Are you sure they really have 'shared profiles' and not simply a collection of shared directories (folders).

Shared profiles creates a shed-load of data copies around the network everytime a user logs in/out - essentially 'My Documents' is mirrored to the server.

DHCP? Exchange?

How many users/resources? The pain of recreating from scratch may be less than jumping the migration hoops.

FWIW: I start from scratch with the small networks I've upgraded.

a windows domain is simply speaking - an administrative entity. keeping it simple with one windows domain, users identify themselves to the domain (un/pw) and are granted rights (to shared directories/printers etc.) based on their credentials.

loads of info on technet at microsoft.com - but you will get bogged down in minutiae.

much help/info on the microsoft news groups - server is: msnews.microsoft.com

Active directory is new-speak for windows domain.

heh :)

Glad to assist where I can - if you have more detail.

btw: I assume there's no budget ... if there is, let me recommend

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Reply to
William Tasso

Where abouts in the UK is this charity? If's its in the West Midlands or immediate surrounding area I could take a look....a bit of foreigner work is just what's needed right now!! If only to help me keep running the Rangey...£68 to fill up yesterday!!

Paul

Reply to
Pacman

Mother"

Reply to
Darren Griffin - PocketGPSWorld.Com

I got rid of all the nt4 servers anywhere i worked a long time ago.

I think that i generally did the migration by starting off a new domain to replace the old one! On a server 2000/2003 box you can pretty much set up a new domain with dns and dhcp working by just running the 'configure my server' wizard. After that its only a case of adding the users and moving the shares across.

I've just done some googling, and it sounds like the only way of turning an NT4 based domain into a server 2000/3 one is by upgrading the NT4 PDC (primary domain controller) to server 2000/3 first.

Alternatively you could install nt4 on your new server. upgrade that then promote it to a PDC before upgrading it to 2000. some stuff here

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Dealing with NT4 is a bit of a pain though.

I think i would do it by starting off a new domain. There are less tricky/awkward faults that can happen this way.

set up your new server with 2000. Run the 'configure my server' wizard and tell it it is a new domain controller for a new domain.

You can export the users from the nt4 server and put them back in on the 2000 one using the 'addusers' command.

Copy the shares across and reshare them. I've written scripts to reshare things and you should be able to find stuff if you google. Its a shame you are not going to 2003 server as there is a 'file server migration wizard' which is useful and does it all for you.

Go round the network and readd the clients to the new domain (this is easy enough and doesnt take long)

Reply to
Tom Woods

Unless they've got thousands of users start a new domain - it's less hassle than upgrading more often than not. It also reduces the downtime.

How do they do email and internet?

Have a good look through the installed applications to make sure they aren't running anything they forgot to tell you about. There's always ten little applications they forgot about that suddenly become mission-critical once the NT4 box is switched off. Most NT4 stuff works fine on 2000, but there's always the oddments that won't.

Reply to
Tim Hobbs

I should have stressed that more.

The benefit of starting a new domain on a new server is that you dont have to touch the old one - or turn it off until youre fully happy

You can set the new one up. move one client machine across to it and say 'now test that' - and if you find youve missed owt you dont move anybody else across. It should involve virtually no downtime.

Reply to
Tom Woods

Mother"

Reply to
Karen Gallagher

If they are like that, would they even notice if you did nuke the box from orbit ? The latest SAMBA handles AD stuff too AFAIK.

Steve

Reply to
Steve Taylor

Hi Martin

My business is advising on what you are doing. So I will try and advise you. Please feel free to email me at gcarter(at)mweb(.)co(.)zw for more details.

A windows domain is a groups of Windows NT or 2000 servers who share a common list of users.

Assuming the NT4 box is a domain controller, it is quite easy to move all the stuff. The easiest way if you have the Windows 2000 CD is to use that to upgrade the NT4 box to Windows 2000 - then it will migrate all the user accounts for you automatically.

Warning!!!! DO NOT USE A STANDARD INTERNET DOMAIN FOR THE WINDOWS 2000 DOMAIN!!! So do not make the WINDOWS domain "charity.com" or "charity.co.uk". Make it "charity.local". The reason is the Windows domain is not the same as their email domain, as it is purely local to their network. If you use an Internet domain, you will find the system sending DNS queries to the Internet, and it will slow down the user manager tools.

The other way of moving the accounts is create a new Windows 2000 domain. Then use the Active Directory migration tool downloadable from Microsoft to move all the users and groups.

On moving all the profiles, this should largely involve copying the files from old server to new server, and resetting the profile path in the Active Directory Users and Computers application. You will need to share the folder on the new server, and the profile will probably be something like \\newserver\profiles\%username%

On the DNS, the domain upgrade wizard will set up the DNS for you. There are a couple of tweaks that can make the system more efficient, or if you find that the server never drops the Internet phone connection.

Any other specific items you need help on, please let me know, and I will try and advise.

Cheers! Graham Carter. Carter Computer Services P.O. Box A1619, Avondale Harare Zimbabwe

Reply to
Graham Carter

Hi Martin

My business is advising on what you are doing. So I will try and advise you. Please feel free to email me at gcarter(at)mweb(.)co(.)zw for more details.

A windows domain is a groups of Windows NT or 2000 servers who share a common list of users.

Assuming the NT4 box is a domain controller, it is quite easy to move all the stuff. The easiest way if you have the Windows 2000 CD is to use that to upgrade the NT4 box to Windows 2000 - then it will migrate all the user accounts for you automatically.

Warning!!!! DO NOT USE A STANDARD INTERNET DOMAIN FOR THE WINDOWS 2000 DOMAIN!!! So do not make the WINDOWS domain "charity.com" or "charity.co.uk". Make it "charity.local". The reason is the Windows domain is not the same as their email domain, as it is purely local to their network. If you use an Internet domain, you will find the system sending DNS queries to the Internet, and it will slow down the user manager tools.

The other way of moving the accounts is create a new Windows 2000 domain. Then use the Active Directory migration tool downloadable from Microsoft to move all the users and groups.

On moving all the profiles, this should largely involve copying the files from old server to new server, and resetting the profile path in the Active Directory Users and Computers application. You will need to share the folder on the new server, and the profile will probably be something like \\newserver\profiles\%username%

On the DNS, the domain upgrade wizard will set up the DNS for you. There are a couple of tweaks that can make the system more efficient, or if you find that the server never drops the Internet phone connection.

Any other specific items you need help on, please let me know, and I will try and advise.

Cheers! Graham Carter. Carter Computer Services P.O. Box A1619, Avondale Harare Zimbabwe

Reply to
Graham Carter

You can't add mac's into a .local AD domain. It doesnt work properly.

Not that this probably bothers Martyn but i've had to restart a domain off to sort it out and thats a pain (and i now use proper FQDN's)

Reply to
Tom Woods

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