Learning Windows Server 2003

Upgrading Previous and Existing Installations

Most organizations and businesses have extensive investments in previous versions of server operating systems. In this section, I’ll cover issues you’ll run into when upgrading from Windows NT and Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003.

Upgrading Windows NT

A lot of companies are jumping the sinking NT ship—end of life for the NT Workstation product was mid-2003 and NT Server’s death is fast approaching as well—and so it’s highly possible you have some machines running NT that are worth upgrading. It’s remarkably easy to upgrade any type of Windows NT installation—be it a primary domain controller (PDC), a backup domain controller (BDC), or a regular member server—to Windows Server 2003. Microsoft has taken great pains to ensure the upgrade to Windows Server 2003 is as painless as possible. The installation procedure follows a clean install reasonably closely, and in fact requires less hands-on work. The program doesn’t prompt you at all after the inception of the installation, and at the beginning, you’re asked only for the CD Key and to acknowledge any compatibility issues.

NT upgraders should, however, note the following points:

• The Windows NT installation must be running Service Pack 5 or greater. You can download the most recent update, Service Pack 6a, from http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/recommended/SP6/allSP6.asp. Other acceptable Windows NT versions include NT Terminal Server Edition with SP5 or later, and ...