how to upgrade exchange and windows to 2003

  • Thread starter Thread starter Imulet
  • Start date Start date
I

Imulet

Hello

I have a single domain model with Windows 2000 domain with 7 domain
controllers spread across 2 cities and 7 exchange 2000 servers spread across
2 cities. i want to upgrade to windows 2003 and exchange 2003. Exchange 2000
are currently installed on member servers in the domain.

I know that Windows 2003 does not support Exchange 2000, so I will have to
upgrade to Exchange 2003 first on member servers and then to Windows 2003
but I would like to know that for domain, is it safe to upgrade first few
domain controllers in one city and then roll out exchange 2003 in that city,
and then move on the second city and then again roll out Windows 2003 on
domain controllers first and then Exchange 2003 on the member servers?

i would appreciate to get a quick and detailed response on this

thanks
Imulet
 
Option A) Hire a consultant.
Option B) www.microsoft.com/technet

This is far too massive a design question for a newsgroup imho. You haven't
even looked at where to start using the available web resources? You
haven't come up with a single question other than "give me a quick and
detailed plan"? Quick /and/ detailed? They just don't go together.

Any further design here would be so frought with exceptions and conditions
and if this then else that it would be useless.
 
Imulet,

First I would suggest creating a lab with at least 2-3 Windows 2000 domain
controllers and 2-3 member server running Exchange 2000 servers. You can
upgrade member servers from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 at any time. You
will have to practice with Exchange 2000 to see how the Windows 2000 upgrade
effects Exchange 2000. Upgrading OS might go fine, then you will have to
follow detailed Microsoft instruction how to upgrade Exchange 2000 to
Exchange 2003 - OS has to be setup just right to make Exchange 2003 work.

Second, you might also test in the lab adding NEW Windows 2003 member, then
install Exchange 2003 and add to your Exchange organization and see how that
works. You might have to consider moving all mailboxes to Exchange 2003
server, removing Exchange 2000 servers from organization and rebulding those
servers as Windows 2003 member with Exchange 2003 and adding them to
organization, then disctributing mailboxes as you had on Exchange 2000.

Third, you should test domain controller upgrade on first Windows 2000 DC
(operations master), then test upgrade on the rest of DCs. I would spend
quite a long time testing and documenting all that, so you have a reference
manual for production upgrade.

My advise - Microsoft claims you can upgrade, but my observation over the
years and systems is - if you can BUILD new machine to replace the old one.
You will not have to deal with old stuff left over from previous system, old
applications that do not work, but you can't remove them and the comfort that
YOU setup the server the way YOU wanted it.

Monika
 
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