AD Prep / Forest Prep and Child Domains

[Jay_2]

We have a single child domain (1 2003 R2 DC) that we can not touch (dont ask why!) and I need to upgrade our AD schema from 2003 R2 to 2008 R2. I am assuming that I start withthe Domain Schema Master and Infrastructure Master servers in the root domain before I touch the child domain? Also I have been told I may not be allowed to change the child domain at all so what kind of issues will this cause?

Thanks.

 

[renixinq]

Complete forest has to be upgraded to 2008 R2 funtionality. Can't be mixed. So if you can't do that child domain you can't do the forest.

 

[Jay_2]

what a pain!

Am I right in assuming that I start with the root DCs then move to the child domain DC?

 

[timberdoodle]

The order doesn't matter. You can have Domain functional levels be 2008 R2 independent of the Forest functional levels.

 

[Jay_2]

I am not changing the fuction levels as such I am extending the schema so I can add 2008 R2 DCs into our 2003 R2 domain.

I thought that if I didn't run the ADPrep on the child domain I simply just couldn't add a 2008 R2 DC to the child domain, but if I need to extend the child domains schema to add 2008 R2 DCs to the root domain thats going to be an issue.

 

[timberdoodle]

Sorry I misunderstood. I believe the only time there is a critical issue is if you are trying to raise the functional levels.

For properly doing the Adprep, do this:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753437(v=ws.10).aspx for the forest. Then do this:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754670(v=ws.10).aspx on any domains that you can upgrade.