adprep question

neathneathneath

Supposing you have a Server 2003 environment and you wish to add the first Server 2008 server.

I realise you need to run adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep on the relevant servers but what would happen if you did not run these schema upgrades?

Would the Server 2008 installation prompt you automatically to carry out the above?

astorrs

You can add all the 2008 member servers you like, you only need to run adprep if you want to add 2008 domain controllers.

Hyper-Me

No the installation won't prompt you.

You will just likely end up hosing the AD database, though.

Why not just google the technet walkthrough and do it as intended?

slinuxuzer

Hyper-Me wrote: »

No the installation won't prompt you.

You will just likely end up hosing the AD database, though.

Why not just google the technet walkthrough and do it as intended?

I imagine it won't let you proceed, I remember not being able to install a R2 domain controller until I ran the correct version of ADprep, the schema was off by one version. Complete pain to figure that one out.

MentholMoose

slinuxuzer wrote: »

I imagine it won't let you proceed, I remember not being able to install a R2 domain controller until I ran the correct version of ADprep, the schema was off by one version. Complete pain to figure that one out.

I'm pretty sure dcpromo will prompt you. I tried adding a 2008 R2 DC in a test forest/domain at 2003 functional level a while ago (IIRC I ran dcpromo after only /forestprep, and not /domainprep, and dcpromo gave me an error). This was a while ago so maybe my memory is wrong, though. I'd definitely recommend doing the adprep properly before attempting to add 2008 DCs.

Hyper-Me

Doesn't it remind you that you needed to run it, but doesnt actually offer to do it for you?

I seem to remember DC promo nagigng me when I put a 2003 DC into a 2000 domain, but it didnt do it for me, i just got a message like "Lord almighty i sure as hell HOPE you ran forestprep and domainprep or GTFO"

MentholMoose

Hyper-Me wrote: »

Doesn't it remind you that you needed to run it, but doesnt actually offer to do it for you?

I seem to remember DC promo nagigng me when I put a 2003 DC into a 2000 domain, but it didnt do it for me, i just got a message like "Lord almighty i sure as hell HOPE you ran forestprep and domainprep or GTFO"

I know dcpromo didn't run adprep for me, I had to run it manually on the 2003 DC (there was only one so it had all the FSMO roles), I just don't recall what the warning was.

MentholMoose

Hyper-Me wrote: »

Why not just google the technet walkthrough and do it as intended?

Here's a good Technet article covering adprep usage:
Running Adprep.exe

neathneathneath

thanks for all the replies.

I was aware of the adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep requirement but I was not sure in a "what if" scenario if the user forgot to run these commands when adding a new 2008 domain controller to a 2003 domain.
I would think that the system will prompt in some way as indicated in your replies and the technet article above. thanks again.

astorrs

neathneathneath wrote: »

I would think that the system will prompt in some way as indicated in your replies and the technet article above.

It does prompt you during a dcpromo if the schema isn't at the correct version for that O/S version (both the forest and domain schemas are checked) and it has ever since Windows Server 2003. It's a fatal error and you can't proceed until you resolve it.

In other words, no risk.

earweed

neathneathneath wrote: »

Supposing you have a Server 2003 environment and you wish to add the first Server 2008 server.

I realise you need to run adprep/forestprep and adprep/domainprep on the relevant servers but what would happen if you did not run these schema upgrades?

Would the Server 2008 installation prompt you automatically to carry out the above?

+1 for this thread. Gives me info on a mistake I hope to not make (but prob will at some time)