How to Configure a Windows 2008 Child Domain in a Windows 2003 Domain Environment

I am considering that you have already configured a windows 2003 domain and you just want to add a windows 2008 child domain so it is necessary follow the next steps

1.      Raise functional level

You can see the steps needed to raise the functional level in your windows 2003 domain machine. 

1.      In the Windows 2003 machine domain  Go to start and select “Administrative tools” >”Active Directory Domains and Trusts”  

2.      Right click in the domain where the child domain will be added and select “Raise domain functional level” when the “Active Directory Domains and Trusts” window appears.  

 3.      Select “Windows server 2003”  domain functional level and click on “Raise” button 

4.      Click on “ok” button in the Warning text box message

5.      Click in “Ok” button in the information textbox message 

2.      Run Adprep /forestprep to prepare the schema

Now you can see the steps needed to prepare the schema from schema31.ldf to schema47.ldf in your windows 2003 domain machine.

1.      Load  the CD installer of “windows 2008”  

2.      Open the CD and open the “Support” folder contained in the CD installer 

3.      Copy the “adprep” folder contained in the “Support” folder to C:\ 

4.      Go to start an run cmd

5.      When the cmd window is opened set the command “cd C:\adprep”

6.      When the directory had been changed set the command “adprep32 /forestprep”

7.      Type “C” and press enter after the ADPREP WARNING message appears

8.      Wait until the message “Adprep successfully updated” appears

9.      Set the command “adprep32 /domainprep  /gpprep”     

10.   Wait until the message “Group policy object (GPO) has been updated” appears 

3.      Run DCPROMO 

When all the previous steps has been configured the windows 2008 machine is ready to be configured as a child domain. To configure the machine follow the next steps. 

1.      Go to start and run “DC PROMO” (if this is the first time you run DC PROMO in the windows 2008 machine wait until the Active Directory are being installed) 

2.      Check “use advanced mode installation” option in the welcome window in the configuration wizard and click on next in the follow window

3.      Check  the options “Existing forest ”and “Create a new domain in an existing forest” ,click on the “next” button  

4.      Fill the domain name information where the child domain will be added and set the correct credentials, click on the “Next” button. 

5.      Fill the information with FQDN of the parent domain   and the domainchild name, click on the next button. 

6.      Wait until the examining  active directory is validate (at this point no error message appears)

7.      Click on next in the windows where the NETBIOS name for the child domain has been generated 

8.      Change the domain functional level to “Windows 2003” and click on next

9.      Select the “Default Site name ” and click on next

10.   Uncheck the DNS option and click on next  

11.   Click on “YES” in the Warning text box message  

12.   Click on next in the “Source domain controller” window

13.   Click on next in the “location log files, active directory” window

14.   Set the credential for the Restore mode and  click on next

15.   Review the selection and click on Next in the summary window 

16.   Wait until all the component being installed  

17.   Click on finish in the completing  installation window

18.   The Child domain has been created successfully, restart the machine and you are done!!!!

Posted in: WindowsServer