Active Directory, Second Edition

Chapter 15. Migrating from Windows NT

Knowing how to design Active Directory is very useful, but it’s not the end of the story. You may already have an existing NetWare or Windows NT infrastructure and want to consider migrating to Active Directory. Alternatively, you may have existing directories and networks that you would like Active Directory to complement rather than replace. One of the most important features of Active Directory is its ability to integrate with other directory services.

In this chapter we will cover some of the issues to consider when migrating from a Windows NT environment to Active Directory. Migrating to Active Directory from an existing NOS infrastructure is analogous to jumping from one moving car to another. This is due to the fact that organizations rarely get the opportunity to take extended downtime from both the client and server perspective to move everyone to Active Directory. In fact, limiting downtime for users is typically one of the top prioritie, so having a well-thought-out migration and fallback plan is critical to reduce the impact to your user base.

The Principles of Upgrading Windows NT Domains

There are many reasons that you will want to upgrade your Windows NT domains to Active Directory, not least of which is to make use of Active Directory and other features. It’s possible to have significantly fewer domains in Active Directory because each domain can now store millions of objects. While fewer domains means less administration, the ...