I have an existing GC DC with win 2k. I am setting up a new 2k3 server from scratch which will eventualy replace the old one. It appears that I have added the 2k3 to the active directory because if I run dcpromo I am asked if I want to remove AD. The dcpromo assistent also tells me that my 2k3 is a GC. I have not run adprep on the 2k machine yet so I am presuming that my 2k3 is a member server? Am I right in presuming this? How can I check what kind of server I have created? Before I knew about adprep, dcpromo and fsmo roles transfer etc... I installed w2k3 on my server and with the assistent I added it to the domain. Someone throw me a line... Thanks :)

You could not add it to the existing 2000 AD as a DC without running adprep. You would get an error if you had tried. This tells me you either brought it up as a member server, which means NO global catalog, or as a DC in a NEW Active Directory forest which would explain it having the GC. If you want to add it to your existing forest as a DC you must run adprep and then dcpromo the 2003 machine to a DC in this existing forest. Imagine the power of knowing how to internet search http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Teachin...

Thanks a lot for that. So it looks like I have a new forest then, is it possible to have the same domain name in two seperate forests? With the new 2k3 server I will have 5 clients, these clients will access typical db applications stored and installed on the server, internet and printers etc. So my question is now, which is cleaner and more reliable a) preparing the 2k domain for the 2k3 and passing the roles etc.. or b) adding the 5 users and computers to the new server, which is presently a gc with ad The only thing I have no clue about is the internet access...but thats for me to investiate next ;)... Thanks in advance Complete server novice

Since these forests, even being the same name, have different identifiers which makes they different, you will only have issues running two forests of the same name. It would be a lot more work and prone to errors rebuilding your existing network into the 2003 server/AD Since you already have an existing 2000 forest I would recommend dcpromo down the 2003 to a standalone server and then dcpromo it into the 2000 forest as a DC after running adprep. Microsoft recommends two DC for AD failover and authenication load balancing. You will want 03 to also hold the GC in addition to the 2000 DC, again for failover. You also will want it running DNS server either as secondary [if your 2000 dns is primary] or AD intergrated. Again for failover and load balancing. Imagine the power of knowing how to internet search http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Teachin...

Hi there, Thanks for the help. I have run dcpromo on the 2k3 server and run adprep forestprep on the 2k server. I am now trying to dcpromo the 2k3 and I have a DNS issue, that contact is not made with the DC in the domain I entered. I have pinged the DC and I got a response. The problem Im getting is a timeout. I have added an IP address that has not already been used 192.68.0.1, masc 255.255.255.0 predetermined 192.68.0.100 and for the DNS prefered 194.179.1.101 My question is, should the DNS be the same as the other DC or the IP address of the server? Also is there any tool that will set up the DNS for me automaticaly? Thanks a lot! Roisin

I have solved the issue by pointing my w2k dc to itself for dns and by pointing the w2k3's dns to the ip of the w2k dc. Tools like dcdiag and netdiag have also been very useful.