NT Server to 2000 & active directory

I am about to setup MS Exchange 2003 server. In doing this one of the requirements is that you have active directory deployed.

Currently, I only have one domain running on a NT primary domain controller.

Consequently, I will be upgrading the NT box to windows 2000 and deploy active directory.

My question is to those of you who have upgraded your NT box to windows 2000 and have deployed active directory.

What should I expect during the installation process?
Will active directory keep all of my user accounts (SAM)?
My current domain name is ocmnt_1. Will it keep that domain name?
Meanwhile, our ulr domain is www.ocmsinc.org . Will active directory want to use a real url as the domain name?

Are there other concerns I should be prepared to address or plan for that I haven’t mentioned above?

Thanks for your help and time

 

You have many options for Upgrading, but suffice it to say, it is very easy to migrate to Active Directory and keep your existing domain account info.

http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/?File=ADUpgrade.TXT

http://www.ultratech-llc.com/KB/?File=ADNetwork.TXT

I'd recommend that you use a Different DNS domain name for your local network vs your external network. (i.e. OCMSINC.LOCAL)

Reasons are given in the links above.

 

Take it from experience, you can upgrade from NT4 to Windows 2000. But if your NT4 PDC has been up for quite some time, it has probably gathered some dust. If you have the hardware available, I would recommend installing a new NT4 BDC, then promote it to the PDC and upgrade to Windows 2000 / 2003. Apply service pack 4 as soon as possible with Windows 2000, and all of the latest security patches. For Windows 2003, apply just the lastest critical updates.
The PDC upgrade process will convert your SAM database w/o a problem. You will then need to run the Forest Prep and Domain Prep soon after to prepare for Exchange 2003. Then you can either upgrade your 5.5 system, or migrate. I would recommend migrating.
You will need to configure the AD connector if you plan on sticking with 5.5 for a few weeks after upgrading your OS to 2000 / 2003.
Different DNS domain is highly recommend. Something like ad.domain.com or domain.local. Then configure fowarders to your Internet DNS servers. Never replicate your AD DNS zone to Internet accessible DNS servers.