Advice on how to proceed?

[news.microsoft.com]

My Network consisted of a few domains. For the most part, if there is Domain
A, B, C, D, and E.....Domain A is pretty much the one that is primarily used
by everyone with the other Domains with very few members on them. So, on
Domain A, It is a NT Domain with 3 BDC's and 1 PDC. 2 of the BDC's are
Exchange 5.5 Servers. Most, I would say 85% of the rest of the Member
Servers are either 2000 or 2003 Servers already with a few NT Servers still
left behind.

What I did. I popped a 2000 Server CD into my PDC and upgraded it to 2000
and Active Directory. Went pretty smoothly. So now is where I am stuck. How
do I proceed from here. Now Domain A is Domain A.com, which is because
Active Directory. So now I am sitting in Mixed Mode, PDC is 2000 Server
with Active Directory and my my BDC's sitting with NT and Exchange 5.5
running on them.

So any advice on how to proceed from here and complete this migration would
be excellent or some sites I can go look at with White Papers to help would
be nice.

I guess my questions are, it seems most of the machines are appearing in
the Active Directory, so as far as User Accounts go or Machines, do I need
to do any migration...no right?? Because I did a in place upgrade??

Is my next step upgrading the BDC's to 2000 as Domain Controllers? Will
Exchange 5.5 continue to run if I upgrade them to 2000?? If I upgrade my
BDC's to 2000....then Domain A is Active Directory can I take it out of
Mixed Mode to Native Mode? Will this affect the other Domains that are out
there?? How can I bring them over under my Active Directory Forest? Or do I
even need to do that??

Thanks for any help.

 

[Herb Martin]

My Network consisted of a few domains. For the most part, if there is
Domain A, B, C, D, and E.....Domain A is pretty much the one that is
primarily used by everyone with the other Domains with very few members on
them. So, on

What is the purpose of the other domains?

Domain A, It is a NT Domain with 3 BDC's and 1 PDC. 2 of the BDC's are
Exchange 5.5 Servers. Most, I would say 85% of the rest of the Member
Servers are either 2000 or 2003 Servers already with a few NT Servers
still left behind.

What I did. I popped a 2000 Server CD into my PDC and upgraded it to 2000
and Active Directory. Went pretty smoothly. So now is where I am stuck.
How do I proceed from here.

Upgrade or replace the BDCs as desired. Or you can remain in "mixed mode"
forever but likely that is not what you wish to do.

Now Domain A is Domain A.com, which is because Active Directory.

It is likely also named "Domain" as the NetBIOS version of the name.

So now I am sitting in Mixed Mode, PDC is 2000 Server with Active
Directory and my my BDC's sitting with NT and Exchange 5.5 running on
them.

So any advice on how to proceed from here and complete this migration
would be excellent or some sites I can go look at with White Papers to
help would be nice.

You will won't to ask about Exchange specifically among the Exchange
experts in those newsgroups but generally you would like to get
Exchange upgraded on a NON-DC.

I guess my questions are, it seems most of the machines are appearing in
the Active Directory, so as far as User Accounts go or Machines, do I need
to do any migration...no right?? Because I did a in place upgrade??

No. You did that by upgrading the domain.

Is my next step upgrading the BDC's to 2000 as Domain Controllers?

Better to make them member servers.

 

[John]

Ok.
So, if I make my Win NT Exchange Servers just regular Member Servers,
don't I need to promote 2 other Servers to BDC's?? Otherwise if I have no
BDC's, then wouldn't the upgrade to 2000 AD be fully done?? Or do I need
Mixed mode until every last NT Server is upgraded??

 

[Herb Martin]

Ok.
So, if I make my Win NT Exchange Servers just regular Member Servers,
don't I need to promote 2 other Servers to BDC's??

You will want at least two DCs (running Win2000+) at some point.

But yes, you would want the Exchange 2003+ on a non-DC if feasible.

Otherwise if I have no BDC's, then wouldn't the upgrade to 2000 AD be
fully done??

AD is done. It is in mixed mode because of the BDCs.

Or do I need Mixed mode until every last NT Server is upgraded??

No, Mixed mode (and the other modes) are strictly about DCs.