adprep question

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?

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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)