Need to Convert single-label to FQDN (and I'm cheap)

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I have 2 Windows Server 2000 SP4 servers. The PDC is running AD and as of
last night DNS. This domain has been a single-label for over ten years
(converted from Novell to NT4 to Server 2000). All clients are currently
Windows 98SE, with the exception of one XP Pro SP2 (covered later). The are 2
satellite offices connecting to the main servers via VPN. The remote
workstations run one application on the PDC server via TS Client. The second
server runs TS Serverand is also used as a relay for connecting this
application's database to our website (hosted off-site).

I have read all of the threads, articles, etc. regarding the need to rid
myself of the single-label domain and changing to a FQDN and see the logic in
it.

I have also read all of the threads, articles, etc. regarding slow login
times for XP clients and most of it makes some sense to me.

I am attempting to replace half of the current computers with XP Pro SP2b
computers and upgrade the rest to XP Pro SP2b (clean install). This is where
I discovered my problems with the single-label issue and the XP slow login
issue.

Now to my questions.

1. Can I demote the PDC, rename the domain in the other server and promote
the other server to PDC (importing everything needed), as a shortcut to
building a new server?

2. Why does my one XP Pro computer connecting to the domain via the VPN
connection NOT have the single-label domain issue or the slow XP login issue?
(I'm seriously concidering building a VPN tunnel at the main location, just
as a workaround.)

Thanks for all the help all of you have already been and for any more help
you can be.

Andy Holder
 
You can only rename a Windows 2000 domain if
1. The domain is still in mixed mode
2. You have an NT 4.0 BDC (pref SP6) in the domain.

If you don't have the NT4 BDC, that can be easy enough to build as a
temporary server, but if the server has already been put in Native mode
you can't go back to mixed mode.

Are both of your servers domain controllers? It's not clear from your
post. If what you refer to as the PDC is the only domain controller,
then as soon as you dcpromo him your domain would be gone - history -
caput. There would be no domain to rename on the second server. If
both are domain controllers, then the situation is as I have described
it above. You would need the NT4 BDC, dcpromo both W2K servers,
promote the NT4 BDC to PDC, upgrade to W2K, and then dcpromo the two
W2K servers. For details, see

http://www.petri.co.il/w2k_domain_rename.htm
 
Hi Seahawk60B, Your answers answer most of my first question.

[I'm still looking for an answer to the second question (should I have put
it in a separate post?)]

The domain is still in mixed mode. I don't have AD or BDC on the second
server.
You said that if I dcpromo the PDC I have, then the domain would be gone.
Would I then be able to make a new , FQDN one? Isn't this what I want? I'm
only using the domain name as a glorrified workgroup name. I don't understand
if there are any other ramifications to all of this.
 
If you dcpromo your lone domain controller, your current AD domain
will be gone, and yes you can create a new domain, with a new FQDN.
You can keep the NetBIOS name of your old domain should you desire.
However, when you demote the domain controller and lose your current
domain, you will lose all domain user accounts, security groups,
workstation memberships,etc. Anything that you've either a) setup in
Active Directory, or b) was part of your old NT4 domain (assuming you
upgraded in place) would be gone. One option to see the ramifications
would be to turn your current DC off, then DCPROMO the W2K member
server. What you will have when that machine becomes a domain
controller is the same thing you'll have if you demote and re-dcpromo
the current DC.

I'm not sure about your connection issues, without knowing the network
layout there's not much information to go on there.


Andy said:
Hi Seahawk60B, Your answers answer most of my first question.

[I'm still looking for an answer to the second question (should I have put
it in a separate post?)]

The domain is still in mixed mode. I don't have AD or BDC on the second
server.
You said that if I dcpromo the PDC I have, then the domain would be gone.
Would I then be able to make a new , FQDN one? Isn't this what I want? I'm
only using the domain name as a glorrified workgroup name. I don't understand
if there are any other ramifications to all of this.

Seahawk60B said:
You can only rename a Windows 2000 domain if
1. The domain is still in mixed mode
2. You have an NT 4.0 BDC (pref SP6) in the domain.

If you don't have the NT4 BDC, that can be easy enough to build as a
temporary server, but if the server has already been put in Native mode
you can't go back to mixed mode.

Are both of your servers domain controllers? It's not clear from your
post. If what you refer to as the PDC is the only domain controller,
then as soon as you dcpromo him your domain would be gone - history -
caput. There would be no domain to rename on the second server. If
both are domain controllers, then the situation is as I have described
it above. You would need the NT4 BDC, dcpromo both W2K servers,
promote the NT4 BDC to PDC, upgrade to W2K, and then dcpromo the two
W2K servers. For details, see

http://www.petri.co.il/w2k_domain_rename.htm
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Thanks again Seahawk60B, your answer was just the kind of information I was
hoping to get, even if it wasn't the answer I wanted to hear. You gave a
clear and concise reply that I can use to plan my next step.

I'll repost the second question as a separate post and see if I get any bites.

Thanks again.

Seahawk60B said:
If you dcpromo your lone domain controller, your current AD domain
will be gone, and yes you can create a new domain, with a new FQDN.
You can keep the NetBIOS name of your old domain should you desire.
However, when you demote the domain controller and lose your current
domain, you will lose all domain user accounts, security groups,
workstation memberships,etc. Anything that you've either a) setup in
Active Directory, or b) was part of your old NT4 domain (assuming you
upgraded in place) would be gone. One option to see the ramifications
would be to turn your current DC off, then DCPROMO the W2K member
server. What you will have when that machine becomes a domain
controller is the same thing you'll have if you demote and re-dcpromo
the current DC.

I'm not sure about your connection issues, without knowing the network
layout there's not much information to go on there.


Andy said:
Hi Seahawk60B, Your answers answer most of my first question.

[I'm still looking for an answer to the second question (should I have put
it in a separate post?)]

The domain is still in mixed mode. I don't have AD or BDC on the second
server.
You said that if I dcpromo the PDC I have, then the domain would be gone.
Would I then be able to make a new , FQDN one? Isn't this what I want? I'm
only using the domain name as a glorrified workgroup name. I don't understand
if there are any other ramifications to all of this.

Seahawk60B said:
You can only rename a Windows 2000 domain if
1. The domain is still in mixed mode
2. You have an NT 4.0 BDC (pref SP6) in the domain.

If you don't have the NT4 BDC, that can be easy enough to build as a
temporary server, but if the server has already been put in Native mode
you can't go back to mixed mode.

Are both of your servers domain controllers? It's not clear from your
post. If what you refer to as the PDC is the only domain controller,
then as soon as you dcpromo him your domain would be gone - history -
caput. There would be no domain to rename on the second server. If
both are domain controllers, then the situation is as I have described
it above. You would need the NT4 BDC, dcpromo both W2K servers,
promote the NT4 BDC to PDC, upgrade to W2K, and then dcpromo the two
W2K servers. For details, see

http://www.petri.co.il/w2k_domain_rename.htm





Andy Holder wrote:
I have 2 Windows Server 2000 SP4 servers. The PDC is running AD and as of
last night DNS. This domain has been a single-label for over ten years
(converted from Novell to NT4 to Server 2000). All clients are currently
Windows 98SE, with the exception of one XP Pro SP2 (covered later). The are 2
satellite offices connecting to the main servers via VPN. The remote
workstations run one application on the PDC server via TS Client. The second
server runs TS Serverand is also used as a relay for connecting this
application's database to our website (hosted off-site).

I have read all of the threads, articles, etc. regarding the need to rid
myself of the single-label domain and changing to a FQDN and see the logic in
it.

I have also read all of the threads, articles, etc. regarding slow login
times for XP clients and most of it makes some sense to me.

I am attempting to replace half of the current computers with XP Pro SP2b
computers and upgrade the rest to XP Pro SP2b (clean install). This is where
I discovered my problems with the single-label issue and the XP slow login
issue.

Now to my questions.

1. Can I demote the PDC, rename the domain in the other server and promote
the other server to PDC (importing everything needed), as a shortcut to
building a new server?

2. Why does my one XP Pro computer connecting to the domain via the VPN
connection NOT have the single-label domain issue or the slow XP login issue?
(I'm seriously concidering building a VPN tunnel at the main location, just
as a workaround.)

Thanks for all the help all of you have already been and for any more help
you can be.

Andy Holder
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
FYI to all who read this looking for help on single-label domains and XP.

I just changed my XP to use WORKGROUP named the same as my Domain. I now
have NO login problems, no access issues. It now connects in a flash. I can't
see any reason not to stick with this solution as NONE of the recommended
solutions have worked for me and some have made the situation worse.
 
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