Hello Maurice,

I prefer the way of adding an additional DC to the domain and make it DNS,
AD integrated zones and GC server, then move the 5 FSMO roles to the 2008.

!!!NEVER START BEFORE HAVING CREATED AND TESTED A BACKUP OF YOU DATA/MACHINE!!!

- On the old server open DNS management console and check that you are running
Active directory integrated zone (easier for replication, if you have more
then one DNS server)

- run replmon, dcdiag and netdiag on the old machine to check for errors,
if you have some post the complete output from the command here or solve
them first

- run adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep from the 2008 installation
disk against the 2003 schema master, with an account that is member of the
Schema admins, to upgrade the schema to the new version

- Install the new machine as a member server in your existing domain

- configure a fixed ip and set the preferred DNS server to the old DNS server
only

- run dcpromo and follow the wizard to add the 2008 server to an existing
domain

- if you are prompted for DNS configuration choose Yes (also possible that
no DNS preparation occur), then install DNS after the reboot

- for DNS give the server time for replication, at least 15 minutes. Because
you use Active directory integrated zones it will automatically replicate
the zones to the new server. Open DNS management console to check that they
appear

- if the new machine is domain controller and DNS server run again replmon,
dcdiag and netdiag on both domain controllers

- if you have no errors, make the new server Global catalog server, open
Active directory Sites and Services and then double-click sitename, double-click
Servers, click your domain controller, right-click NTDS Settings, and then
click Properties, on the General tab, click to select the Global catalog
check box (http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313994)

- Transfer, NOT seize the 5 FSMO roles to the new Domain controller (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801)

- you can see in the event viewer (Directory service) that the roles are
transferred, also give it some time

- reconfigure the DNS configuration on your NIC of the 2008 server, preferred
DNS itself, secondary the old one

- if you use DHCP do not forget to reconfigure the scope settings to point
to the new installed DNS server

- export and import of DHCP database for 2008 choose "netshell dhcp backup"
and "netshell dhcp restore" command (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772372.aspx)

Demoting the old DC's (if needed)

- reconfigure your clients/servers that they not longer point to the old
DC/DNS server on the NIC

- to be sure that everything runs fine, disconnect the old DC from the network
and check with clients and servers the connectivity, logon and also with
one client a restart to see that everything is ok

- then run dcpromo to demote the old DC, if it works fine the machine will
move from the DC's OU to the computers container, where you can delete it
by hand. Can be that you got an error during demoting at the beginning, then
uncheck the Global catalog on that DC and try again

- check the DNS management console, that all entries from the machine are
disappeared or delete them by hand if the machine is off the network for ever

- also you have to start AD sites and services and delete the old servername
under the site, this will not be done during promotion

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
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