Summary

The assessment of the existing enterprise is vital to designing an effective Windows 2003 infrastructure. You must develop some templates or forms to help you gather information, analyze that data, identify Windows 2003 features that will affect the infrastructure, assess the impact of migrating to Windows 2003, and provide a final benefits and recommendations analysis.

A well-done assessment puts you well on your way to developing the AD design and reduces risks associated with the migration by identifying potential snags before the migration is attempted.

Remember that migration can refer to merging multiple Windows 2000 domains or forests together in the case of a company reorganization or acquisition of another company. Although you wouldn't necessarily have to go through all the details noted in this chapter, many will apply. This can include collapsing Windows 2000 domains into a simpler domain structure while upgrading to Windows 2003.