How to add a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine to a domain that has a Win NT 4 server running Active Directory

Question

I have a Windows NT 4 Server that is running as a Domain Controller and has Active Directory running on it. I want to make a Windows Server 2008 machine join the domain and also become a Domain Controller. I have a few questions:

1. Can I do this?
2. Can a NT 4 Server replicate with a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine?
3. If not, what is the latest Server OS I can use?

Answer 1

Since Windows 2000 Windows domains use Active Directory, whereas NT4 domains don't, so I doubt this is possible. Microsoft provided an upgrade path from NT4 to Server 2003. Once you have AD up and running on Windows Server 2003, you should be able to upgrade from there to Windows Server 2008 R2. This tutorial illustrates that latter upgrade.

Answer 2

Anything before Windows 2000, where Active Directory was introduced, is not pretty.

Your best bet is to upgrade your PDC to Windows 2000, enable Active Directory, and then upgrade to Windows Server 2003 R2 (the R2 is important).

I've never attempted an NT 4 to 2003 upgrade, and I don't know if it's even possible.

[EDIT: Ansgar has a link in his answer which points at an upgrade path.]

At that point, you will upgrade your domain and forest to 2003 level. The 2008 R2 server will be able to interact with 2003 AD comfortably (but be sure you're using R2 of the 2003 server).

Though I've not considered it, it's more than likely that you can run your AD on 2000 level, but I'd go to 2003 because it's just better.