Older Domain and Forest functional levels

Question

I am adding a Windows 2019 Domain controller to an existing domain run with a Windows 2008 DC. Plan is to first add it as a second DC/Active directory for a time and then decommission/DC promo the 2008 server. However, the current Domain functional level is Windows 2000 native and the forest functional level is Windows 2000.

My normal procedure is to update the schema version to windows 2019 when introducing a DC running, but I have not done this with a domain and functional level as low as Windows 2000.

Are their extra steps I need to take in this context? Can someone direct me to some documentation in this regard?

Answer 1

There's two items that must be met. The domain functional level needs to be 2008 or higher and older sysvol FRS replication needs to have been migrated to DFSR
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Storage-at-Microsoft/Streamlined-Migration-of-FRS-to-DFSR-SYSVOL/ba-p/425405

Before these steps and also before adding new domain controllers its imperative that domain health is confirmed 100%

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Answer 2

The two prerequisites to introducing the first 2019 or 2022 domain controller are that domain functional level needs to be 2008 or higher and older sysvol FRS replication needs to have been migrated to DFSR
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Storage-at-Microsoft/Streamlined-Migration-of-FRS-to-DFSR-SYSVOL/ba-p/425405

I'd use dcdiag / repadmin tools to verify health correcting all errors found before starting any operations. Then stand up the new 2019 or 2022, patch it fully, license it, join existing domain, add active directory domain services, promote it also making it a GC (recommended), transfer FSMO roles over (optional), transfer pdc emulator role (optional), use dcdiag / repadmin tools to again verify health, when all is good you can decommission / demote old one.

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Answer 3

So, based on this article I am going to have to convert from FRS to DFSR before I raise the functional level to 2008 and then add a 2019 DC as a second DC to the domain.

As per this article, backing-up-and-restoring-an-frs-replicated-sysvol-folder

since I do not have a the key "KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DFSR\Parameters\SysVols\Migrating Sysvols\LocalState", I am indeed running FRS.

Answer 4

To check whether FRS or DFSR is used you can check here if you find 48 then using DFSR, if null or 0, 16, 32 then FRS or some state of migration from FRS

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Answer 5

I do not see a DFSR Global Setting at all. Pretty sure this 2008 box is FRS