adding 2003 domain controller to 2000 domain

ok will try it out tomorrow morning, and yes it is 2003 R2 version
 

excellent, make sure you use the top ADPREP options

so i basically run ADPREP followed by DCPROMO .  

 i dont have to run the adprep /forestprep and adprep /domainprep tools , is that correct ?

no no you have to run adprep /forestprep   adprep /domainprep and adprep /gpprep  all from the second cd in the R2 set  you do this on your 2000 machine

ok that's better cause i was going to run these tools on the 2003 R2 server.
Thanks

the idea is that it extends the 2000 schema to cope with 2003 changes

for the new 2003 server do i install active directory before or after DCPROMO, just want to clarify this.

i have installed active directory, all the user accounts and computer accounts have replicated seemlessly.
Right now it is showing me 2 domain controllers(Server1 and Server2)
i havent run DCPROMO yet. When i had intiated active directory , i added  the 2003 server as another domain controller in an existing domain.

So my question is do i have to still do DCPROMO?

your confusing me

you cannot "install" active directory without running DCPROMO     a server cannot be a domain controller without DCPROMO being run - hence the name  Domain Controller Promotion (DCPROM)

so what have you done exactly?

1)  I did the adprep /forestprep, adprep /domainprep, and adprep /domainprep /gpprep on the 2000Server. (oh by the way  at that time the 2003Server was not connected on the network, though previously i had added it to the domain, without any server manager configutration) i m trying to give exact steps and conditions.

2) Now once finished with 2000server i configured DNS on 2003server. Then server manager i used the wizard to i chose the option of  another Domain controller(active directory), then i chose the option of another domain controller in existing domain. it created the the active directory and at the end gave me a message that i had created Domain Controller.

3) when i checked the active Directory in 2003 Server it showed all the user accounts, computers and even the group policies from the 2000 Server.
I checked the 2000 server and under the active Directory domain i found 2 domain controllers Server1(2000) Server2(2003)

4) Just to check now i ran DCPROMO from the Run command and it told me that Server2(2003) is already a Domain Controller. The only option was to Demote it, so i cancelled that option and left it alone.

So please tell me where i have royally messed up. (this is the first time i m doing this).

I created new user account on Server1(2000Server) after all this just to check if things were working., almost immediatley the user was replicated on the Server2(20003Server). so i m assuming things are working ok.

i will be moving over the shared documents and applications on monday to see how things are going to go. I have left the Server2(2003Server) running for the weekend.

you have done it correctly and well :) you now have two domain controllers that seem to be working fine....

if you are worried, try running dcdiag on your 2003 server

For future reference to anyone reading this, after this i had to tranfer fsmo role, enable global catalog on the 2003 server.
The fsmo would not transfer all the roles so i had to run NTDSUTIL to seize the role. Everything ok from there.