Using a Windows 2008 Server as an additional Domain controller for a Windows 2008 R2 Domain controller (but in Windows 2008 mode)
I have a need to add a Windows 2008 Domain controller to a Windows 2008 R2 Domain controller, the latter being still in Windows 2008 mode (not R2 mode). Would this be a problem?
Here is what I'm trying to do:
I have an upcoming class that's based on Windows 2008. I have two servers on which to host Windows 2008 servers and related applications: a quad-core workstation with plenty of memory and drives, and an old Dell 6-blade server. The former is 64-bit and the latter is 32-bit.
On the 64-bit server, I'm running Windows 2008 Server R2 Datacenter with a Domain controller, DNS, and DHCP running in a virtual instance (ROOT-DC1). I also have Exchange 2010 (EXHANGE-1) and System Center Essentials 2010 (SCE2010) running in their own virtual instances.
In the classroom is the 32-bit blade server, which has six blades within it.
For security reasons, I'd like the ability to remove the 64-bit server when I'm not having class (this unit belongs to me personally, and I'm not the only instructor using the room.) Furthermore, I'm not completely comfortable relying completely on a single point of failure.
What I'm hoping to do is attach the 64-bit server to the network, setup one of the 32-bit Windows 2008 Server blades as a second Domain controller (ROOT-DC2) and have it serve as the Domain controller, DNS, and DHCP when the 64-bit server isn't physically there.
Questions:
Assuming I installed the forest and Domain in Windows 2008 mode as opposed to Windows 2008 R2 mode, is there anything special I have to do to add a 32-bit Domain controller (ROOT-DC2) to the root Domain?
What might I have to do to have ROOT-DC2 serve as a redundant DNS and DHCP server?
I realize that I will have to attach the 64-bit server to the network regularly to ensure that they don't tombstone or whatever it is occurs when Domain controllers lose contact with one another for extended periods.
Here is what I'm trying to do:
I have an upcoming class that's based on Windows 2008. I have two servers on which to host Windows 2008 servers and related applications: a quad-core workstation with plenty of memory and drives, and an old Dell 6-blade server. The former is 64-bit and the latter is 32-bit.
On the 64-bit server, I'm running Windows 2008 Server R2 Datacenter with a Domain controller, DNS, and DHCP running in a virtual instance (ROOT-DC1). I also have Exchange 2010 (EXHANGE-1) and System Center Essentials 2010 (SCE2010) running in their own virtual instances.
In the classroom is the 32-bit blade server, which has six blades within it.
For security reasons, I'd like the ability to remove the 64-bit server when I'm not having class (this unit belongs to me personally, and I'm not the only instructor using the room.) Furthermore, I'm not completely comfortable relying completely on a single point of failure.
What I'm hoping to do is attach the 64-bit server to the network, setup one of the 32-bit Windows 2008 Server blades as a second Domain controller (ROOT-DC2) and have it serve as the Domain controller, DNS, and DHCP when the 64-bit server isn't physically there.
Questions:
Assuming I installed the forest and Domain in Windows 2008 mode as opposed to Windows 2008 R2 mode, is there anything special I have to do to add a 32-bit Domain controller (ROOT-DC2) to the root Domain?
What might I have to do to have ROOT-DC2 serve as a redundant DNS and DHCP server?
I realize that I will have to attach the 64-bit server to the network regularly to ensure that they don't tombstone or whatever it is occurs when Domain controllers lose contact with one another for extended periods.
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Did my comment to the original second question not help?
ASKER
OK. I'm still familiarizing myself with the protocols of this site. All of the answers were useful, and I'll acknowledge them as such properly as soon as I'm not reading this on a cell phone screen.
ASKER
I fixed the scoring, per protocol.
ASKER
My mention of bits and platforms was simply my way of expressing that the existing forest and root Domain controller is on a Windows 2008 Server R2 box (but operating in non-R2 2008 mode), and that the intended additional Domain controller will be on a box that can't run R2 and will forever be on Windows 2008 (non-R2).
I suppose that my question is whether I can eventually "upgrade" the existing 2008 Domain and forest to R2 Domain and forest and have it work on the additional Domain controllers that happen to be on Windows 2008 (non-R2) servers. When I dcpromo the Windows 2008 (non-R2) server to create the additional Domain controller, would it operate in R2 mode by virtue of that process, or would I have to run domainprep on it after the promotion?