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I would like to get a couple opinions

Found this article online and wanted to know if it is good to follow

http://www.msserverpro.com/migrating-active-directory-domain-controller-from-windows-server-2003-sp2-to-windows-server-2008-r2/

Couple of things that need to be done.
1. Move over all active directory settings from old Server 2003 server to new Server 2008R2
2. Setup all users on new server using csvde.

csvde -f output.csv -- on old server
csvde -i -f output.csv -- on new server

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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    Wait... are you migrating to a new domain, or a new domain controller?
    – Mark Henderson
    Oct 22, 2013 at 22:19
  • And you only have one server? Not two? So gradual upgrades are not possible and you should ask on superuser.com?
    – TomTom
    Oct 23, 2013 at 5:19

2 Answers 2

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Maybe I'm missing something, but why wouldn't you just add the 2008 R2 server as a server in the domain and then promote it as a second DC? Then transfer the FSMO roles and either keep the first server online for redundancy or demote it and remove it. THAT is the most effective way to migrate a 2003 DC to 2008 R2 as it preserves Group Policies, User Passwords, and all account and group information, not to mention security.

More details can be provided but I wanted to make sure there wasn't some reason you had already discounted this idea.

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I assume you are talking about migrating to a new domain. In which case, Active Directory Migration Tool is the most effective, thorough way to do this.

If you are talking about migrating to a newer domain controller in the same domain, then just prep the forest and domain with ADprep, promote the new server as a replica, transfer all FSMOs to it, and decommission the old. Then raise FFL/DFL if desired.

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    You assume the poster is at least professional enough to have two domain controllers / servers. The question makes me cringe but I can assume from the wording this is a semi-user (superuser) that has only one server.... in which case all that is not working. But then he is off topic here anyway.
    – TomTom
    Oct 22, 2013 at 20:53
  • OP, if you want to use csvde to export and import users, you can. It's just that if you want to migrate other settings besides just bare user accounts, then I would recommend ADMT.
    – Ryan Ries
    Oct 22, 2013 at 21:13
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    And don't mind TomTom... he's the surliest of us all. It's part of his charm.
    – Ryan Ries
    Oct 22, 2013 at 22:15

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