Wikis - Page Details

First published by Santhosh Sivarajan- (MVP, Microsoft Partner)
When: 17 Apr 2011 8:37 AM
Last revision by Richard Mueller (cMVP, Microsoft Community Contributo)
When: 1 Sep 2013 1:54 PM
Revisions: 50
Comments: 35

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Active Directory: Active Directory Upgrade - High Level Steps

Here are the high level steps which you can use to upgrade the Active Directory.

AD_Upgrade_WiKi

Steps :

1. Upgrade the schema using correct version of OS – Adprep

Reference - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd464018(WS.10).aspx

Note - Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version of Adprep.exe. The 64-bit version runs by default. If you want to run one of the Adprep.exe commands on a 32-bit computer, use the 32-bit version of Adprep.exe. It is called Adprep32.exe. In Windows 2008 R2, it is located in the \Support\Adprep folder.

You can ignore the following message. However, if you are planning to install RODC later, you need perform ADPREP/RODCPREP first. First Windows 2008 DC cannot be a Read Only Domain Controller (RODC).

2. Verify the schema version

Note - You can verify the schema version using dsquery * cn=schema,cn=configuration,dc=sivarajan,dc=com -scope base -attr objectVersion command. The following table lists the Active Directory Schema and the corresponding Object Version:

Active Directory	Object Version
Windows 2000	13
Windows 2003	30
Windows 2003 R2	31
Windows 2008	44
Windows 2008 R2	47
Windows 8 Beta	52
Windows 2012 RC	56

***ObjectVersion 39 - Please refer http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/archive/2011/07/15/friday-mail-sack-peevish-nediquette-edition.aspx

3. Install a new server with correct version of OS and join this server to the existing domain.

4. Perform DCPRMO on this server and select Additional Domain Controller for an existing Domain option.
     Beginning with Windows Server 2012, you can install AD DS using Windows PowerShell the Install-ADDSDomainController command.

     Reference - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753720(WS.10).aspx

     Reference PowerShell - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh472162#BKMK_PS

     Note - If you are using Active Directory Integrated (ADI) DNS, it will get replicated as part of the Active Directory replication.

5. If you are planning to decommission the old servers, you need transfer FSMO roles, DHCP etc to the new server.

Note - You can identify the FSMO role DC information using Netdom /Query FSMO command.

   Reference FSMO - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801

   DHCP - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/962355/en-us

6. You can remove (demote) a domain controller using DCPROMO command and again, since WS2012 also possible with PowerShell.

    Reference - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc740017(WS.10).aspx

    Reference PowerShell - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh472163#BKMK_RemovePS