Question : Add Win2003 DC to 2000 domain - Exchange2003 already installed

We currently have a Windows domain with a PDC and BDC both running Windows Server 2000 SP4 AD. We have Exchange 2003 installed and in use. Right now we are looking to add a Windows Server 2003 DC, and eventually another 2003 DC. We are doing this to phase out the 2000 DCs.

I've seen this question several times with a 2003 DC being added to a 2000 domain, but never with Exchange 2003 already installed.

My question is, what considerations need to be made in our situation before joining the 2003 DC to the domain.

Any help is appreciated. Thank you.

Answer : Add Win2003 DC to 2000 domain - Exchange2003 already installed

>>Does it hurt anything to run domainprep and forestprep twice?

No

>>I thought we did that already when installing Exchange 2003 into the 2000 domain

You did, that was to extend the schema to include Exchange objects - running it from the server 2003  media extends the scema to version 30 or version 31 if your media is 2003 R2

Your steps are correct :)


>>Will that dcpromo take care of making the 2003 machine the fsmo master

No - you need to transfer the FSMO roles to the new 2003 server

To seize or transfer the FSMO roles by using Ntdsutil, follow these steps:
1.      On any domain controller, click Start, click Run, type ntdsutil in the Open box, and then click OK.

Note Microsoft recommends that you use the domain controller that is taking the FSMO roles.
2.      Type roles, and then press ENTER.

To see a list of available commands at any of the prompts in the Ntdsutil tool, type ?, and then press ENTER.
3.      Type connections, and then press ENTER.
4.      Type connect to server servername, where servername is the name of the server you want to use, and then press ENTER.
5.      At the server connections: prompt, type q, and then press ENTER again.
6.      Type seize role, where role is the role you want to seize. For a list of roles that you can seize, type ? at the Fsmo maintenance: prompt, and then press ENTER, or consult the list of roles at the beginning of this article. For example, to seize the RID Master role, you would type seize rid master. The one exception is for the PDC Emulator role, whose syntax would be "seize pdc" and not "seize pdc emulator".

Note All five roles need to be in the forest. If the first domain controller is out of the forest then seize all roles. Determine which roles are to be on which remaining domain controllers so that all five roles are not on only one server.

Microsoft recommends that you only seize all roles when the other domain controller is not returning to the domain, otherwise fix the broken domain controller with the roles.

If the original domain controller with the FSMO roles is still online, transfer the roles. Type transfer role.
7.      After you seize or transfer the roles, type q, and then press ENTER until you quit the Ntdsutil tool.
Note Do not put the Infrastructure Master role on the same domain controller as the global catalogue.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;197132

To check if a domain controller is also a global catalogue server:
1.      Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Sites and Services.
2.      Double-click Sites in the left pane, and then browse to the appropriate site or click Default-first-site-name if no other sites are available.
3.      Open the Servers folder, and then click the domain controller.
4.      In the domain controller's folder, double-click NTDS Settings.
5.      On the Action menu, click Properties.
6.      On the General tab, locate the Global Catalogue check box to see if it is selected.
*****References*****

Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles to a Domain Controller
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=255504

Windows 2000 Active Directory FSMO Roles
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;197132

Flexible Single Master Operation Transfer and Seizure Process
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;223787