Migration from AD to AD

[X181]

Hello

i will migrate an AD (based on 2k-server) to an AD (based on 2k3-server). the 2k3-servers build a new indipendent AD (this has several reasons...).

same thing with exchange (from 2k to 2k3). the domain includes about 50 Workstations and new 4 Servers.

a search tools tho do the following work secure, fast and if possible cheap

my questions:

- how can i migrate the user-accounts ( profiles, pws, exchange accounts, etc)?

- how can i change the nt domain of the workstations?

- how can i change the the mapi profiles of the users (new exchange server!)?

sry about my english.... and thx in advance

X181

[fizban2]

how many users would you be migrating? would it be around 50? if so there are tools for migrating the users accounts from your current AD to another AD, as for the work stations. the same things can be done, but you will have to change each computers domain registration manually (take off the old domain and add to the new) As for the Mapi settings, if the new w2k3 exchange is setup correctly, the first time the user logs into exchange a new profile will be setup automatically. not to sure on the the exchange migration of account but there has to be a way to do it.

[chilifrei64]

Outlook will not autoconfigure itself unless you have created a custom profile adn deployed it to all the workstations. What I suggest is W2K3 Exchange Server comes with a license for outlook 2003 for each client that is going to use exchange as its mail server. Deploy this using group policy and use the Office Resource Kit provided by microsoft to create a custom transform file "MST" that WILL allow you to configure it so that when outlook is opened it will autoconfigure it for you.

As far as migrating the user accounts.. You could build a new domain(sounds like that is what you want to do). Build a trust relationship between the 2 domains and you can migrate the users using ADMT2 (not 1.0 but 2.0)

As far as the computers.. I have not found a good reliable way to manually join them to a new domain remotely.. Please post if you find out how to do this.

[At0mic]

Well when you introduce a new exchange server into a domain and transfer users to it, the new server name gets automatically set in outlook. I can confirm this because I did it under a live corporate environment. About 5 machines failed to get the new server name automatically so I had to go and do these manually after they phoned me. All the others machines had no problems.

That’s probably what fizban2 was talking about. In this scenario however, where a new domain is introduced into the mix, things are probably different.

[chilifrei64]

Correct.. I too have done this in a live corporate enviroment.. about 6 times now. if you add a new exchange server to an existing domain.. yes.. it will auto configure it.. infact .. if you make a mistake when configuring outlook... like lets say you have 3 exchange servers exch01, exch02, and exch03 and I set my exchange server to exch01 in the outlook configuration, but it should be exch03.. it will automatically reconfigure outlook to use the correct exchange server...

In this case.. the users will be migrated to a new domain. Depending on how this takes place.. with trusts or with an export then import this wont be the case..

I can though.. now that you mention it.. if using a 2 way trust.. migrate over the users.. install exchange.. move the mailbox... this might autoconfigure.. if exchange works between trusts like that.. this I have not done..

Unfortunately i do not have a test network set up with a 2 way trust to test and see if computer accounts can be moved.... but if the ADMT2 tool can do it.. then you may be in luck and could possibly get it to migrate over

Basically... get everything in place.. build a trust, migrate everythign over.. remove the trust. .. demote the old domain.. and be on your way

if only it were that easy

[fizban2]

chili you are right, creaiting a MST is the right way to go to get outlook to auot configure, but creating the trusts and moving the mailboxs, they will autoconfigure for the new exchange server, we are currently doing something similar at my work now (Exchange 5.5 to 2k3).