Hi Moreno,
Thank you very much for your detail information!
Actually, I didn't demote the old server. Even I checked the box "GC" in new
Server, it still prompted the message " cannot find GC server..." then I
restore it by checked the box "GC" in the old server. Is it the replication
time not enough (around 10 mins)? How do I know that the new PC is acted as
a "GC" server?
Best Regards,
Ming
Ok Ming,
I'll explain in detail all the scenario.
In your LAN there are, now, TWO server, the OLD W2K + E2K
server and the NEW W2K + E2K server.
I suppose, when you started the migration to the NEW
server, that the NEW server was configured to be A DOMAIN
CONTROLLER for the DOMAIN; also, now I suppose that the
new server is a GLOBAL CATALOG server if you applied DEJI
suggest.
In this situation WE HAVE TWO DOMAIN CONTROLLERS and, at
least, one of this is a GLOBAL CATALOG SERVER but I
believe that now BOTH your server are GLOBAL CATALOG
SERVER (you can verify this by applying the DEJI suggest
to the OLD server).
At this point, the OLD W2K server (domain controller and
probably GLOBAL CATALOG server) can be DEMOTED to become a
normal server using DCPROMO.EXE.
This is possible BECAUSE in the LAN exists the OTHER
GLOBAL CATALOG server that stores ALL the ACTIVE DIRECTORY
database, so it will be possible, after the demotion of
the OLD server, to authenticate all the users and, in
general, to manage ALL the Active Directory schema.
If, for example, we suppose that the NEW W2K + E2K server
is NOT a GC server while the only GC server is the OLD
server, when you DEMOTE the OLD server to normal server
you will LOOSE the domain information because a normal
server stores only a PARTIAL REPLICA of the AD database
and NOT ALL the database.
In this case the NEW server will no longer be able to
refer to a GLOBAL CATALOG server and I think you will have
a lot of serious problems!!
For this reason, I also suggest you a SECOND possible
solution you can try:
1) take a PC and make a new FRESH installation of W2K
server;
2) when you finish the installation, PROMOTE this third
server to DOMAIN CONTROLLER for the existing domain;
3) transform this third machine to be a GC server by
checking the GC box as explained in the DEJI post;
4) wait for a complete replica of all the AD schema to the
new GC server;
Doing this operation I suppose ALL the DNS works
correctly; it is better for you to transfer ALL the DNS
service to the NEW W2K + E2K server.
At this point you will have at least TWO GC server in your
LAN (the NEW W2K + E2K server and the THIRD server) and
you can proceed to DEMOTE the OLD W2K + E2K server without
problems because you have not ONE but TWO GC server.
When you DEMOTE a domain controller to be a NORMAL SERVER
again, it is important that, at least, ONE global catalog
server exists in the LAN because when you DEMOTE the LAST
global catalog server, this operation REMOVE ALL THE
DOMAIN.
Hope this helps you.
Moreno.
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