Learning Windows Server 2003

Migrating to Active Directory in Windows Server 2003

A primary reason businesses are purchasing Windows Server 2003 is to move away from other, older operating systems. In this section, I will look at moving to Active Directory from Windows NT and Windows 2000, including steps on planning, actually moving, and then keeping your systems running smoothly.

Moving from Windows NT Domains

A lot of companies are finding themselves jumping the sinking Windows NT ship and considering an upgrade to the latest server product from Microsoft, Windows Server 2003. After all, the end-of-life date for the NT Workstation product was in mid-2003 and NT Server’s death is fast approaching as well, so it’s very possible that your organizations have some machines running NT that are worth upgrading.

Microsoft released Windows Server 2003 in late April 2003, and since then the product has matured via various updates and out-of-band releases into a server product that is more stable, reliable, and secure than any previous version of Windows. An upcoming service pack should ship in the middle of 2005. It is usually not until after the first service pack of a new Microsoft operating system ships before companies really start looking to upgrade existing systems. So, this will be an excellent time to consider upgrading.

Items to consider before migrating

If you have an NT domain and haven’t investigated Active Directory, the new directory service Microsoft first introduced in Windows 2000 Server, there’s a ...