Will the following technique revert Active Directory back to Mixed Mode?

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Guest

Hi all,

I need some suggestions regarding Native mode.

I'm thinking about moving Active Directory to Native mode (for group
nesting functionality).

Found an article about how to revert back to mixed mode (even though it
is not officially supported by MS, I believe).

Do you think the following technique will work? I don't really have a
testing environment.

The article is at:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/42984/42984.html?Ad=1


Thanks in advance,

Seth
 
Yeah that will work for a single domain forest. For a multidomain forest you
need to have a DC from every domain all taken offline at about the same time.
 
Hi all,

I need some suggestions regarding Native mode.

I'm thinking about moving Active Directory to Native mode
(for group nesting functionality).

Found an article about how to revert back to mixed mode
(even though it is not officially supported by MS, I
believe).

Do you think the following technique will work? I don't
really have a testing environment.

The article is at:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/42984/42984.html?Ad=1
Click to expand...
It is really no drama at all to switch to native mode, if
you don't have old NT4 BDcs.

Cheers,

Cliff
 
Hi all,

I need some suggestions regarding Native mode.

I'm thinking about moving Active Directory to Native mode (for
group
nesting functionality).

Found an article about how to revert back to mixed mode (even
though it
is not officially supported by MS, I believe).

Do you think the following technique will work? I don't really
have a
testing environment.

The article is at:
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/42984/42984.html?Ad=1


Thanks in advance,

Seth
Click to expand...

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Article/ArticleID/42984/42984.html?Ad=1
That is one of the ways to do it. Another way is to have backups (at
least system disk and system state) of ALL DCs before the switch to
native mode is made. To successfully revert back to the mixed mode
situation you need to restore the DCs instead of rebuilding them.
Before making the backups force replication between all DCs to make
sure the information all available information is on all DCs.

Steps to do it could be:
* Force replication
* Backup all DCs
* Force replication
* Disconnect one of the DCs from the network -> DO NOT RECONNECT IT!
* Make the switch to native mode
* Make sure everything works OK

If everything is OK:
Reconnect the disconnected DC

If everything is NOT OK:
* Shutdown ALL DCs in the domain
* Reconnect the disconnected DC
* Disable INBOUND REPLICATION on that DC (to prevent it to accept
changes from other DCs temporarily until all DCs are recovered)
* Start all DCs into "Directory Services Restore Mode" and restore the
backup that was made BEFORE the switch was made. If no backup exists
for a certain DC, you need to rebuild it (FORCEREMOVAL it first
disconnected from the network and DCPROMO it to a DC again connected
to the network)
* After recovering all DCs, enable INBOUND REPLICATION on the DC that
was disconnected

When starting into DSRM MAKE SURE you go into DSRM and not into normal
mode! Otherwise that DC will screw your work and you need to start
over again!

TIP: be sure to at least try to revert the domain back to mixed. I
don’t think you will need it, BUT if you need to DO YOU KNOW WHAT TO
DO?

I’m not trying to scare you, I’m just saying be prepared if you
fear something

Good luck
 
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