Upgrading and Installing Windows Server 2003

In this section, you will review the specific requirement for installing and upgrading Windows 2000 servers to Windows 2003. In addition to hardware and software requirements, this section provides you with valuable tips and techniques when installing or performing installations and upgrading to Windows 2003.

Upgrade Paths and Requirements

When upgrading server operating systems to Windows 2003, servers must meet the Microsoft minimum hardware and software requirements to install Windows 2003 successfully. In addition to hardware requirements, consideration must be made to decide which Windows 2003 Family product to update with. Review the Windows 2003 Upgrade paths in Table 15.2 to determine which Windows 2003 Server operating system can be used when upgrading a Windows 2000 Server version.

Table 15.1 lists the requirements you need to ensure that all servers being upgraded meet the minimum requirements to ensure that each server upgrade will complete successfully.

Table 15.1. Windows 2000 System Requirements

Windows Server 2003	Minimum Processor Speed	RAM	Required Disk Space for Installation
Web Edition	133MHz	128MB	1.5GB
Standard Edition	133MHz	128MB	1.5GB
Enterprise Edition	133MHz	128MB	1.5GB
Datacenter Edition	400MHz	512MB	1.5GB

Table 15.2. Windows 2003 Upgrade Paths

Windows 2000 Server Edition	Standard Edition	Enterprise Edition	Datacenter Edition	Web Edition	Small Business Edition
Standard	X	X			X
Advanced		X
Datacenter			X

Upgrading by Performing a Clean Installation

When the requirements allow it, a clean installation of Windows server 2003 can be the most effective manner to create new domain controllers and upgrade a domain to Windows 2003. Using this method enables you to implement new server hardware and a clean installation of Windows 2003 without requiring existing domain controllers to be upgraded.

By using the DCPROMO command to create a new domain controller in the Windows 2000 domain, you can then use the NTDSUTIL to seize the domain FSMO roles to the new Windows 2003 domain controller. To upgrade a domain to Windows 2003 without upgrading existing hardware, review the following steps.

Before Upgrading Any Server or Domain...

Perform a full backup of the existing domain and validate the backup in case a recovery is required.

1. Install Windows 2003 server on the new server hardware. You can choose to join the domain at this time or when the server installation and service pack update is complete.

2. Install any related Windows 2003 service packs and updates.

3. If not completed during the installation, join the new server to the Windows 2000 domain by selecting the My Computer option and opening the Properties page.

4. Select the Computer Name tab and click Change button to join the domain.

5. Upgrade the server to be a domain controller by running the DCPROMO command. Select Start, Run and type DCPROMO . Click OK to upgrade the server to a domain controller.

6. On the Welcome to Active Directory Installation Wizard, select Next to continue.

7. On the Operating Systems Compatibly screen, note the information and review the Client Support section in this chapter before continuing.

8. On the Domain Controller Type screen, select Additional Domain Controller for an Existing Domain as shown in Figure 15.2.

   Figure 15.2. DCPROMO domain controller type.

   

9. On the Network Credentials screen, enter the administrator account name and password for the domain.

10. Verify the domain name the server is joining on the Additional Domain Controller screen and click Next to continue.

11. Verify the database and logs folder path and click Next.

12. Verify the serve Sysvol location and click Next to continue.

13. From the Directory Services Restore Mode dialog box, enter the password for the directory service administrator. This password is separate and not associated with the domain administrator account. When complete, select Next.

14. Review the Summary page to ensure the upgrade information is correct and select Next to begin installing Active Directory on the new domain controller.

Add the Permanent Address

To ensure proper communications and domain registration, add the permanent IP address of the server and DNS server for the domain during the installation of Windows 2003.

After the server has been upgraded to a domain controller in the Windows 2000 domain, seize the domain FSMO roles to the new Windows 2003 domain controller to upgrade the domain. To use the NTDSUTIL, see the "Recovering from a Failed Upgrade" section in this chapter to complete the upgrade.

Seize the FSMO Roles Once in the Forest Root Domain

Seize the FSMO roles once in the forest root domain. For environments with child and sub domains, create a new domain controller and seize roles for each domain to replace the primary domain controller in multidomain environments.

After the new domain controller and any additional domain controller installations have been completed, you must migrate vital network services such as DNS and DHCP services to the new domain controllers.

To understand more about migrating network service to new Windows 2003 domain controllers, refer to the Migrating Network Services section of this chapter.

Tips to Upgrading a Windows 2000 Domain

When upgrading a Windows 2000 domain, consideration should be given to the order in which each domain and domain controller will be upgraded. When Windows 2000 domains are upgraded to Windows 2003, the Windows Server 2003 operating systems add certain security principles and resources to the existing Windows 2000 domain. The following guide describes when to upgrade single and multidomain environments and how to replicate the proper Windows 2003 security information correctly when performing a domain upgrade.

Upgrading and Windows Client Support

When upgrading a Windows 2000 domain, all client support for Window NT 4.0 and Windows 95 clients without the Active Directory client software are lost. This is because the SMB server signing becomes enabled when a Windows 2000 domain is upgraded to Windows 2003. To enable support for legacy clients , review the "Client Support with Windows Server 2003" section in this chapter.

When upgrading to Windows Server 2003, the order in which servers are updated are important and can greatly affect the outcome of the domain upgrade. The following information will help in planning and understanding the best practices when upgrading.

• First Domain Controller Upgraded Begin your domain upgrade by performing an in-place upgrade of the domain controller possessing the domain naming master role in the forest root of the domain. This will create the default DNS program partition in the new Windows 2003 domain.

• Second Domain Controller Upgraded Upgrade the primary domain controller in the root forest domain. This upgrade will add the security principles and the ACLs that Windows 2003 creates when the domain is migrated .

• Upgrade Each Child Domain PDC In multidomain environments, upgrade the Primary domain controller in each child domain. Upgrading these servers will begin replication of domain-specific security principles.

Remove the Windows 2000 Administration Tools Prior to Upgrading

Before performing an upgrade of a Windows 2000 domain controller, Microsoft recommends removing the Windows 2000 administration tools prior to upgrading. The Windows 2003 administrative tools that leverage the Windows 2003 domain security principles can then be installed after the upgrade of the domain controller is complete.

After any upgrade is complete successfully, review the server logs for errors related to server functionality.

Complete the upgrade by installing any Microsoft updates for Windows 2003.