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Is it possible to prepare a 2019 Windows PDC completely prior to deployment within a network?

I am attempting to prepare a 2019 Microsoft Server, Standard, to deploy within our small school network. Even with EANS funds our school doesn't need to spend the additional monies to use Hyper-V. There are less than 50 clients and 25 devices connected to the pdc. I am working with two virtual servers, one is the 2019 server, and the other server is a copy of our PDC. Both virtual servers are housed within a Dell Poweredge 440 box. I want to migrate, copy, or move AD Schema, AD, DHCP, DNS. and FSMO roles from the old PDC onto the 2019 virtual server. The old pdc is running 2008R2 Server. I am using VMWare/VSphere version 6 to communicate with the servers. I can ping each server but there is no DNS resolution. I can't add the 2019 server into the domain until I deploy them within our actual network.

I am attempting to prepare a 2019 Microsoft Server, Standard, to deploy within our small school network.

for clarification, the new 2019 server is virtual, correct?

Even with EANS funds our school doesn't need to spend the additional monies to use Hyper-V.

I believe Hyper-V is free in 2019 server, why not take advantage of this? (answer depends on the above answer).

First make sure the current 2008 is at 2008 domain and forest level.
and make sure it is using DFS-r for replication of sysvol.

dfsrmig /getmigrationstate

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/dfs-replication/migrate-sysvol-to-dfsr
2019 will cause you trouble if you are still on ntfrs for sysvol.

you could precede the File server things .....

Not clear how you are trying to implement what you are considering, given I am unclear in trying to determine what is between the lines.

It sounds like you want to take the systemstate of the 2008 and restore it onto the 2019 to then drop the new 2019 as a replacement tot he prior 2008?

the 2008 needs to be adpreped with schema, forest, domain and rodc from the 2019 install disk.

"there is no DNS resolution "
Please be more specific, such as: the host cannot resolve the old DC's name with an NSLookup command.

Run IPConfig /all on the host and on each DC and look at what is set for DNS servers. Post that info and we should be able to help.

I agree with Works2011 about Hyper-V.

ASKER

When I ran dfsrmig /getmigrationstate, it said the domain functional level is not Windows Server 2008 or above. The server itself has 2003 Server on it.

ASKER

I did bring it up to a functional Server 2008 level.

ASKER

To be specific, I can't ping each server using the computer name. Using ipconfig /all, the original PDC running Server 2003 lists its own IP as the DNS server. The 2019 Server does not list a DNS server. I do want to take the systemstate of the 2008 and restore it onto the 2019 then drop the new 2019 as a replacement to the 2008.

ASKER

My old PDC is running 2008R2 Standard.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

Could you list what current servers you have running and what OS you want to upgrade to because so far you’ve mentioned 2003 2008R2 and 2019 ?

If you have a 2003 and a 2008 DCs you can not proceed to 2019.
You could go through a 2012/16 as an intermediate to maintain two DCs while rerieing the 2003.

To migrate from ntfrs to dfsr to then join the 2019, .....

ASKER

Am installing Hyper-V on the 2019 Server.

That is fine. The host running hyper-v are you running any service/role on the host.
not hypervisor will be contending for resources with anything that is running directly on the host.

are you trying to virtualize the servers you have now into the hyper-v?

you could do it using the sysinternals disk2vhdx

perhaps combining many things into a single question you will get answers that might not be cohesive to solve your issue.

lets break out your current environment:
What do you have now: two DCs one primary 2003 one secondary 2008.

you have a new host/hyper-v running 2019

What OS options do you have, you can preinstall VM with OS
Bring the host with Hyper-V on site, join the VMs as member servers, .....

etc.

ASKER

I'm working with a 2008R2 server and a 2019 server.

ASKER

I basically want to take the information on the 2008r2 server and put it on the 2019 server.

ASKER

The 2008r2 server is the PDC. I want the 2019 server to become the PDC. I'll upgrade the 2008r2 server to 2019 and make it a BDC.

Provided the 2003 DC is no longer in play.
netdom query fsmo
to confirm that 2008 is the master role
you have to migrate the sysvold from ntfrs to DFS-R to make 2019 joining as a DC possible.

The NTFRS option was removed after 2016.

ASKER

2008 is the master role.

To make it possible to join the 2019.
You need to migrate the sysvol from NTFRS to DFSR.

are you looking for a way to JOin the 2019 to the domain and promote it to another DC in the environment OFFLINE?

or alternatively, do you have a way to setup a VPN between where the 2019 is and where the 2008 is?
join over a remote connection?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-access/directaccess/directaccess-offline-domain-join

I think it is not available for the 2008 as an option.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

So once you have migrated from NTFRS to DFSR, see @Arnolds post above its a simple operation to move the roles from the 2008R2 server to the 2019 server.

see here for more details

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/133448/ad-upgrade-from-2008r2-to-2019-or-move-to-new-serv.html

Does this operation work for you, or do you have something different ?

"The 2019 Server does not list a DNS server "
Why not? The IP parameters should (almost always) be set statically on servers.

ASKER

Andrew, your directions were clear and helpful. My solution is to do an in-place upgrade of the 2008R2 server, first to 2012R2, then 2016, then 2019. This 2008R2 was a clone of the original PDC. It will eventually become the BDC. The 2019 server will become the new PDC. What would the best practice be to complete these tasks?

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

There are no PDC and BDC in later versions of Active Directory controllers.

It seems a lot of effort doing in place upgrades, which may fail, rather than the recommended method of transferring the roles.

I would recommend transferring the roles, and then if additional DCs are required, you should have at least a minimum of two, just add another 2019 server and promote to a DC.

Or does the existing 2008R2 server being used as something else other than a DC ?

ASKER

Can you please help me transfer the roles from the 2008R2 Server to the Windows 2019 Server? Can this be done as they are virtual servers on a Dell Poweredge 440 box, not connected to our network? Right now I'm having trouble getting them to communicate with each other.

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

If you have virtual servers, this can be done, it should not matter if they are physical or virtual.

But the fact they cannot communicate is an issue.

What is the host hypervisor os ?

ASKER

I need to install hyper-v on the 2019 server

ASKER

I also need to load hyper-v with a dvd. How do I connect to the virtual machine with my external dvd?

SOLUTION

Andrew Hancock (VMware vExpert PRO / EE Fellow/British Beekeeper)

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ASKER

Thanks. I'll split the question.

You can not boot the OS install and attempt to access the VMs on the system. unlike linux that provides a liveCD option, windows installer does not have a running Windows Environment on the DVD.

Besides the Dell 440 what do you have?
Unable to connect suggests a configuration issue on the network in the new hyper-V role. or the network connection is not there...
can you ping host from host?

ASKER

I solved the DVD Drive issue. I am just working with a 2008R2 virtual server and a 2019 virtual server on the Poweredge box. I can ping the IP of each server. I can ping the name of the 2008R2 server but I can't ping the name of the 2019 server.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

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