Integrating Windows Server 2003 into Existing Domains
If you plan to install Windows Server 2003 servers configured as domain controllers into an existing domain, you’ll have to run the Adprep.exe command line utility. This utility is located in the 1386 directory of the Windows 2003 Server installation CD-ROM, You’ll have to run the command adprep /forestprep on your existing Windows 2000 Server domain controller holding the schema operations master role. You’ll have to run adprep /domainprep on the Windows 2000 Server domain controller holding Infrastructure Operations Master role. Be sure to search for articles concerning ADPREP at http://sufport.microsqft.com before you actually run these commands.
When you convert from Windows 2000 mixed or Windows Server 2003 interim functional level to the Windows 2000 native or Windows Server 2003 functional level, keep in mind the following:
Support for pre-Windows 2000 replication ceases. Because preWindows 2000 replication is gone, you can no longer have any domain controllers in your
domain that are not running Windows 2000 Server or later.
You can no longer add new pre-Windows 2000 domain controllers to the domain.
The server that served as the primary domain controller during migration is no longer the domain master; all domain controllers begin acting as peers.
The change in domain functional level is one-way only; you cannot change from the Windows 2000 native or Windows Server 2003 functional level to the Windows 2000 mixed or Windows Server 2003 interim functional level.
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