Migrating 2 domain controllers from server 2003 to 2012
Company has domain that they need to migrate from (dobbde.com) into (dobbde123.com).
They have a 2003 file server in dobbde.com and we want to deploy a 2012 file server in dobbde123.com. They have two domain controllers in dobbde.com (2003) and we have two domain controllers in dobbde123.com (2012).
Any pointers on the best way to go about this? Is there a way to do it DC at a time?
Would it be best to use robocopy or something equivalent to this for the file servers?
Personally what I would have done is
- Joined a new 2012 machine to the old domain (dobbde.com)
- Promoted it to a DC.
- Allowed it time to sync and all the data users to be copied.
- Moved the FSMO roles to the new server; ensure that DNS and DHCP are also moved if they were on the old 2003 DC
- Demoted the old 2003 DC and remove it.
- Upgraded the functional level of the domain from 2003 to 2012 or anywhere in between
- Make changes so that (dobbde.com) is now (dobbde123.com)
I have done this a few times and is my preferred way, you can also do it with very little if any down time of the domain.