Running the Upgrade Process | Introducing Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003

After the forest is prepared, all changes made by the ADPrep.exe tool have replicated throughout the forest, and all applicable domains have been prepared, you can begin the actual upgrade process. The following list shows the process for upgrading Windows 2000 domain controllers to Windows Server 2003, and the upcoming sections provide more details.

Install Active Directory on a Windows Server 2003 member server.
Upgrade the first domain to Windows Server 2003.
Upgrade the remaining domains to Windows Server 2003.

Install Active Directory on a Member Server

Install Active Directory on a Windows Server 2003 member server by using the Active Directory Installation Wizard. When you install Active Directory, the member server becomes a domain controller. You can install Active Directory on any Windows Server 2003 member server that meets the domain controller hardware requirements. The Active Directory Installation Wizard does the following:

Allows you to create an additional domain controller and join it to the existing domain
Configures the local server to host the directory service
Creates directory partitions and default domain security principals
Allows you to install or configure DNS

You can run the Active Directory Installation Wizard from a command line or by using the Configure Your Server Wizard. You must be a member of the Domain Admins group to run the Active Directory Installation Wizard. After installing Active Directory on the Windows .NET “based member server, allow sufficient time for replication to occur and all domain controllers to synchronize with the new server.

More Information

For more information about installing and removing Active Directory, see "Installing and Removing Active Directory" in the Directory Services Guide of the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit (or see "Installing and Removing Active Directory" on the Web at http://www.microsoft.com/reskit/).

Upgrade the First Domain

After allowing enough time for the new Windows Server 2003 domain controller to synchronize with the other domain controllers in the domain, upgrade the Windows 2000 “based domain controllers in the domain to Windows Server 2003. To initiate the installation of the operating system on the domain controller, insert the Windows Server 2003 operating system CD on the domain controller or, if the Windows .NET media are shared over the network, run Winnt32.exe.

You can also perform an unattended installation of Windows Server 2003. Instructions for creating an answer file for an Active Directory installation are located in the Deploy.cab file in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows Server 2003 operating system CD. Inside the Deploy.cab file, see Ref.chm to access the Unattend.txt file. Expand Unattend.txt in the left pane, and click DCInstall.

Upgrade the Remaining Domains

After upgrading the first domain, upgrade the remaining domains in the forest. You can upgrade any additional Windows 2000 “based domain controllers in the forest that meet the Windows .NET hardware requirements to Windows Server 2003.

Before you attempt to upgrade a domain controller in another domain, remember that you must first run adprep /domainprep on the infrastructure master role holder in that domain. Run adprep /forestprep only once in the forest root domain, and run adprep /domainprep once in each domain in the forest in which you plan to locate a Windows Server 2003 domain controller.

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