New Windows Server 2003

I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server with Win
Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing server is the PDC
with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is there a way to move or
copy all the user and computer accounts to the new Server 2003? I am really
want to avoid having to unjoin then rejoin each workstation from the domain.
Any information on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Is there a way to move or
> copy all the user and computer accounts to the new Server 2003?

Add the new server to the existing domain as a member server then run
dcpromo to make it a DC. AD information will replicate to the new server.

I would strongly consider keeping the old server in the domain for
redundancy. If one server goes down the second will hold the domain info
while you get the other up and running. Without a second DC in this case you
may have to go around and unjoin and rejoin the workstations to the new
domain and deal with the new profile created on each user computer.


hth
DDS

"Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:O%(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server with
>Win Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing server is the
>PDC with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is there a way to move
>or copy all the user and computer accounts to the new Server 2003? I am
>really want to avoid having to unjoin then rejoin each workstation from the
>domain. Any information on this would be appreciated. Thanks.
>

"Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:O#(E-Mail Removed):

> I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server
> with Win Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing
> server is the PDC with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is
> there a way to move or copy all the user and computer accounts to the
> new Server 2003? I am really want to avoid having to unjoin then
> rejoin each workstation from the domain. Any information on this would
> be appreciated. Thanks.
>
>

I believe you can use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) for this
task. You can investigate and download the tool at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...6F86937B-533A-
466D-A8E8-AFF85AD3D212&displaylang=en

Also, AD documentation resources are at "Windows Server 2003 Active
Directory"
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...tory/activedir
ectory/default.mspx

--
James McIllece, Microsoft

Please do not send email directly to this alias. This is my online account
name for newsgroup participation only.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

James McIllece [MS] <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:O#(E-Mail Removed):
>
>> I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server
>> with Win Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing
>> server is the PDC with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is
>> there a way to move or copy all the user and computer accounts to the
>> new Server 2003? I am really want to avoid having to unjoin then
>> rejoin each workstation from the domain. Any information on this
>> would be appreciated. Thanks.
>>
>>
>
> I believe you can use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) for
> this task. You can investigate and download the tool at
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...6F86937B-533A-
> 466D-A8E8-AFF85AD3D212&displaylang=en

.... none of this should be necessary if he's just adding a new DC within his
existing domain - he can seize all the FSMO roles & decommission the old
one, or leave it up and running for redundancy, as Danny suggested The
workstations won't notice a difference, although login scripts/profile
paths/whatnot may need to be adjusted for the new server name.

I actually tried this on a few "test" servers I setup. I ran the DCPROMO on
Server #2 as instructed below. All the AD information DID replicate to the
2nd server, but it still relies on the first server. If I shut down the
first server I cannot open AD users & computers on the 2nd server. It says
that it cannot find the domain controller. So what next? I need for the 2nd
server eventually be on it's own in the domain.


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<(E-Mail Removed) ahoo.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> James McIllece [MS] <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> "Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> news:O#(E-Mail Removed):
>>
>>> I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server
>>> with Win Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing
>>> server is the PDC with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is
>>> there a way to move or copy all the user and computer accounts to the
>>> new Server 2003? I am really want to avoid having to unjoin then
>>> rejoin each workstation from the domain. Any information on this
>>> would be appreciated. Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> I believe you can use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) for
>> this task. You can investigate and download the tool at
>> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...6F86937B-533A-
>> 466D-A8E8-AFF85AD3D212&displaylang=en
>
> ... none of this should be necessary if he's just adding a new DC within
> his existing domain - he can seize all the FSMO roles & decommission the
> old one, or leave it up and running for redundancy, as Danny suggested
> The workstations won't notice a difference, although login scripts/profile
> paths/whatnot may need to be adjusted for the new server name.
>

If I shut down the
> first server I cannot open AD users & computers on the 2nd server. It says
> that it cannot find the domain controller. So what next? I need for the
> 2nd server eventually be on it's own in the domain.

AD Totally requires DNS to even find the domain. Sounds like you have the
second DC pointing to the first DC for DNS, which it finds when DC 1 is
running. When DC 1 is down there is no DNS.

Setup DNS on the second DC.

hth
DDS


"Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I actually tried this on a few "test" servers I setup. I ran the DCPROMO on
>Server #2 as instructed below. All the AD information DID replicate to the
>2nd server, but it still relies on the first server. If I shut down the
>first server I cannot open AD users & computers on the 2nd server. It says
>that it cannot find the domain controller. So what next? I need for the
>2nd server eventually be on it's own in the domain.
>
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> <(E-Mail Removed) ahoo.com> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> James McIllece [MS] <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> "Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>>> news:O#(E-Mail Removed):
>>>
>>>> I have a Windows Server 2003 Standard. I am purchasing a new Server
>>>> with Win Server 2003 to replace the existing server. The existing
>>>> server is the PDC with about 40 computers as part of that domain. Is
>>>> there a way to move or copy all the user and computer accounts to the
>>>> new Server 2003? I am really want to avoid having to unjoin then
>>>> rejoin each workstation from the domain. Any information on this
>>>> would be appreciated. Thanks.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> I believe you can use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) for
>>> this task. You can investigate and download the tool at
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...6F86937B-533A-
>>> 466D-A8E8-AFF85AD3D212&displaylang=en
>>
>> ... none of this should be necessary if he's just adding a new DC within
>> his existing domain - he can seize all the FSMO roles & decommission the
>> old one, or leave it up and running for redundancy, as Danny suggested
>> The workstations won't notice a difference, although login
>> scripts/profile paths/whatnot may need to be adjusted for the new server
>> name.
>>
>
>