2K and W2K3 Domain Controllers

I've got a W2K Small Business Server and 3 W2K3 servers. The W2K SBS is the domain controller. I'm concerned about failures of the DC and the ability of users to access the remaining servers. Can I configure one of the 2003 servers to take over as the DC if the DC crashes? If so, how. If not, how does one protect against this reasonable failure.

 

Check this article out. Basically you just run dcpromo.

How to promote and demote domain controllers in Windows 2000

 

According to all the ducumentation I have read SBS 2000 (If that's what you actually have) has to be a stand alone server with 50 or less clients.

2003 may have changed this scenerio but I have always been told that SBS 2000 had to be stand alone and there was no way around it.

 

No, it doesn't have to be a stand alone server, but it is supposed to be the only domain controller. AND, there can only be one domain on the physical network. That's as I understand it. I can vouch for the fact that SBS 2K does allow additional servers on the physical network. And, the SBS 2K documentation shows how to make the SBS2K machine a license server for an additional computer running as a terminal server.

My question is: Given that SBS 2K only allows one domain controller on a network. How does the domain function if the domain controller goes kaput. And, how do I prepare a backup plan for that eventuality.

 

Ahhh.. ok i checked with some sbs folks, I have given you bad advice. so heres the matrix for schema compatability

SBS2000 SBS2003
2000srv yes yes
2003srv no yes

There are some restrictions,
-The SBS 2003 computer must be a domain controller installed on
the root of the domain.
- The SBS 2003 computer must hold all the Flexible Single Master
Operation (FSMO) roles.
- The SBS 2003 computer must be a global catalog server and the
licensing server.
- There must not be any existing domain trusts or child domains.

The advice is to upgrade to sbs2003, then you could join them all day long.

Otherwise, you might want to consider a hotbackup drive and chassis.

 

I would say the most economical way to backup would be weekly Ghost images to a removable drive.
Maybe have a couple of them so one is always off site.

If the DC goes Tango Uniform just restore the Ghost image to another server or drive.

To prevent those cold night sweats I would use a minimum of a RAID 5 array with a hot spare.
They are getting really cheap. You can even do them in IDE or SATA but I have noticed the warranties are better on SCSI drives but double or tripple the cost.