Performing final preparations and carrying out upgrades of domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0

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

Performing final preparations and carrying out upgrades of domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0

During the final preparations before beginning an upgrade from Windows NT 4.0, you can remove a backup domain controller temporarily from the network to protect your existing network integrity. During the upgrade, there are a few choices to make for the upgrade of a network of two to five servers (a network within the size of those discussed in these Getting Started topics). This topic describes the removal of a backup domain controller from the network, and provides guidelines for making choices during the upgrade.

Before beginning this stage of the upgrade process, be sure to review the important information in other topics listed in Upgrades in a Windows NT 4.0 Domain.

Removing a backup domain controller from the network

Before beginning an upgrade of servers in a domain where all the domain controllers run Windows NT 4.0, you can perform an additional precautionary step at the final preparatory stage, when you are confirming that Service Pack 5 or later has been applied, and you are performing server backups.

If you are preparing to upgrade the primary domain controller, to protect your existing network integrity, consider removing a backup domain controller temporarily from the network. To do this, in your existing Windows NT network, choose a backup domain controller, ensure that it has a current copy of the user accounts database, and back it up. Then disconnect its network cable. After the upgrade of your primary domain controller to become a domain controller running Windows Server 2003 (you must upgrade the primary domain controller first), this disconnected system is available for promotion to a Windows NT primary domain controller if necessary. However, in the course of an uneventful upgrade, you would not and could not promote the Windows NT backup domain controller to primary domain controller. Instead, you would continue the upgrade process, eventually reconnecting the disconnected server and upgrading it.

Running the Active Directory Installation Wizard after upgrading the primary domain controller

To upgrade the primary domain controller to become a domain controller running Windows Server 2003, you must first run Setup to upgrade the operating system. After the operating system is installed, you can run the Active Directory Installation Wizard (which appears on the screen the first time you log on). This section provides guidelines for making choices in the Active Directory Installation Wizard when upgrading the primary domain controller.

Important

  • When you begin the upgrade of domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0, you must upgrade the primary domain controller first.

The following table shows the choices that are recommended when running the Active Directory Installation Wizard on the server that was formerly the primary domain controller. These recommendations are for a network of two to five servers (a network within the size of those discussed in these Getting Started topics):

Choices on the server that was formerly the primary domain controller Recommended action for a network of two to five servers

Domain in a new forest or Child domain in an existing domain tree or Domain tree in an existing forest

Choose Domain in a new forest.

Forest functional level of Windows Server 2003 interim

(This choice appears only if Domain in a new forest was previously selected.)

Choose Windows Server 2003 interim.

With this domain functional level, you can have domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows Server 2003, but no domain controllers running Windows 2000.

During the upgrade, you can choose the location of three important items: the database containing user accounts and other Active Directory data, the log file, and the system volume (Sysvol) folder. The database and the log file can be on any kind of partition (FAT, FAT32, or NTFS); the database can expand by as much as a factor of ten from the size it had with Windows NT, so allow plenty of room for it. (Initially, the log file will take up very little space.) The system volume folder must be on an NTFS partition. (For information about NTFS and other file systems, see Choosing a File System for the Installation Partition.)

Note

For additional information about upgrades in relation to Active Directory, see Domain and forest functionality and Upgrading from a Windows NT domain. For a general list of topics on Active Directory, see Active Directory.