DC and Active Directory

[evildragon]

Not vintage, but I need help with this..

I have a Domain Controller right now, which is running Windows 2003 Enterprise Edition.. This server does all, DHCP, DNS, file server, RIS, and RAS, etc...

Here's the thing, I was just given a new server, which has dual SCSI and dual processors, which kicks my old DC out of the water..

The problem is, how do I transfer the role to the new DC, without any of the other computers having SID problems? Last time I tried to do this, all computers had to be re-joined in the domain, and it ended up with new user accounts...

[Vlad]

Why on earth would you run a full blown DC in your home? Thats pretty heavy for a small home LAN. I'm not really into that kind of pain :P

EDIT:

Modem reset because my ISP sucks, I wasn't finised ><

Anyway its been ages since I touched a Windows server, but the only thing I can think of are the two utilities CSVDE and LDIFDE. They are used for bulk import and export of your stuffs. If I remember correctly. Their command line, so I hope you like the NT command prompt. Sorry I dunno how to use them, never had to. The servers I work with run a *NIX variant. (usually)

DO NOT count this as correct, but I think it was something along the lines of "csvde -f <outputfile.csv>" would export all data in Active Directory to a gigantic txt file you moved and imported. I'd research that a bit more, like I said its been ages since I last encountered a DC. Hope that atleast points you in a helpful direction.

-Vlad

[evildragon]

need a DC because I serve a lot more users than just myself ;) I host a network across the neighborhood..

those utilities you speak of I don't think will get Active Directory, only local user stuff, which in this case, there is non..

I'm debating between an ASR, or a System State backup..

[Vlad]

need a DC because I serve a lot more users than just myself ;) I host a network across the neighborhood..

Thats pretty cool! I'll dig out my college text book on Server 2003 and see what it says. If you don't mind waiting I can contact a professor friend who does this kind of crap for a living to see what they say.

-VK

[Vlad]

http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/1050686f-3464-41af-b7e4-016ab0c4db261033.mspx?mfr=true

They do indeed import and export form Active Directory, that TechNet article might provide some insight.

[evildragon]

hmm, ok, cool, thanks!

i'll give it a shot..

btw, my old DC was 933MHz Pentium III, 512MB RAM.. my new one is an HP NetServer with dual 1GHz Pentium III's, and 1GB RAM.. ahh, the upgrade!

EDIT: By the way, will the existing computers on the domain recognize this as THEIR domain controller, or will they still need to be re-joined?

[Vlad]

Nice upgrade. And I have no idea, I never transfered stuff off a DC to another before. I'm kinda going off memory from about 1+ years ago here.

[IBMMuseum]

Not vintage, but I need help with this..
...The problem is, how do I transfer the role to the new DC, without any of the other computers having SID problems? Last time I tried to do this, all computers had to be re-joined in the domain, and it ended up with new user accounts...

Set the primary DNS on the new system to the IP of the existing DC. Run DCPROMO to make it a DC. After you have both DCs running together you can remove the older unit (making sure you have transfered all services) by setting the primary DNS of the new server to its own IP and then DCPROMO the old DC to standalone.

[evildragon]

what if the new domain controller is supposed to use the old domain controllers hard drive? that's kinda the problem im in right now...

normally if I just transfer the HD, the server won't boot, but im wondering if a Repair Install might kick it into gear, while keeping all file shares, RIS, and AD..

[Vlad]

Moving a OS drive from one machine to another really plays hell on the HAL and reg. Its kind of frowned upon plus with Microsoft as anal as they are, you'll probably have to reactivate your OS. Something like that is probably more trouble than its worth.

[evildragon]

Moving a OS drive from one machine to another really plays hell on the HAL and reg. Its kind of frowned upon plus with Microsoft as anal as they are, you'll probably have to reactivate your OS. Something like that is probably more trouble than its worth.
that's why i Repair Install windows, it reinstalls the HAL to what the install detects, it like goes through the whole install routine, but leaves registry stuff as is...

Enterprise Edition don't have activation.. mine didn't atleast...

[IBMMuseum]

what if the new domain controller is supposed to use the old domain controllers hard drive? that's kinda the problem im in right now...

normally if I just transfer the HD, the server won't boot, but im wondering if a Repair Install might kick it into gear, while keeping all file shares, RIS, and AD..

You are using Active Directory, so you need to add another DC using DCPROMO. With both Domain Controllers on you can start shifting whatever you need to between them. But if you are caught in the idea of switching harddrives then there might be a reason all the data was dumped when attempting to do something similiar before.

Your call in the end for what you want to do, but I do this quite a bit at my work...

[evildragon]

You are using Active Directory, so you need to add another DC using DCPROMO. With both Domain Controllers on you can start shifting whatever you need to between them. But if you are caught in the idea of switching harddrives then there might be a reason all the data was dumped when attempting to do something similiar before.

Your call in the end for what you want to do, but I do this quite a bit at my work...
The last time I tried doing something simliar, was because I made a new domain controller with the same settings, but never joined it on the domain of the old DC, and swapped domain controllers, expecting all the computers to magically accept the DC..

That was before my microsoft certifications (days of 2k)..

Thing is right now, I'm in the position of where there really is only ONE hard drive, I can't go out and purchase another HD, because I already used my money to buy the new server (which i also had to go out and buy a 1GHz PIII, because one was fried in the server)...

If I had two HD's, then yes, I'd promote the new one as DC in the domain, the propper way, but right now, I'm in the position of where I can't, and the new DC needs to run on the HD of the old DC, using the same HD, without any hiccups..

That's why I'm wondering if a Repair Install will install all the new hardware, yet keep the old HD's AD contents intact...

I knew from the start, I would be breaking Microsoft's rules to domains when I had to implement the new DC, I just can't do it the conventional way...

[Vlad]

Well, yeah, SCSI anything is not cheap. You could plead your case in the want section to see if anyone has one they could donate to the cause or even hit up local businesses and see if they have a retired one they could offer up. You might get lucky and stumble across an old Proliant Array, those used to be common for work groups.

[evildragon]

im tempted to trying that... for the time being, on the old DC, I have made a norton ghost image.. and am attempting the repair install route on the new DC with the HD..

if it works, yay, if not, i'll try asking...

It's SCSI is one of those funky ones, not the old SCSI connector like my Floptical drive... I think it even has RAID and stuff built on to it..

[evildragon]

EDIT: My idea of Repair Install was rocky, but it seems to have held up.. All data was there and remained there, and to top it all off, Active Directory is still running, once I fixed the IP address of the NIC ;) At first it new it was a DC, but couldn't find the server.. DNS seems to be back up, DHCP is issuing new requests..

So far so good.. It's right now re-updating back to Service Pack 1, as I never slip-streamed my install CD..

EDIT: The new DC is now completely operational..

Picture of Server: http://blackevilweredragon.spymac.com/server.jpg

Oh the dual processor glory: http://blackevilweredragon.spymac.com/newdc.jpg

(My other 512MB stick hasn't come in yet, so I'm operating with 512MB.. I might end up getting 2 more 512MB sticks to make it 2GB)