Is Adding a Win 2003 DC Ncessary for Exchange 2003 migration?

Do I need to upgrade my domain to windows 2003 for a
migration to Exchange 2003. I currently have 2 Windows
2000 DCs and an Exchange 2000 server. We will be
migrating to a new Exchange 2003 server and we were
wondering if it would make sense to introduce a new Win
2003 DC and then run a mix of Win 2000/2003 DCs and
gradually demote the Windows 2000 DCs. Is there any added
benefits for Exchange 2003 by adding Windows 2003 DC in
our environment?

Thanks,
Alex

Hi there

Windows Server 2003 is not required to deploy Exchange 2003. Exchange 2003
can run on a Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server machine in a Windows
2000 or Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domain.

Before you get any benefits of Windows Server 2003 as far as Exchange is
concerned, you'd need to replace all your Windows 2000 Server DCs and raise
the functional level of the domain.

There are three benefits you get for Exchange once you flip the switch. I
can't find them right now (but I bet it's documented in one of the many
guides at www.microsoft.com/exchange), but one of them is the ability to
place more than 5000 users in a single distribution group. You can overcome
it in a Windows 2000 AD domain by nesting groups.

So, I would definitely run Windows Server 2003 on the Exchange box(es), but
there's no real Exchange-driven need to upgrade the domain controllers.

Hope this helps

Oli






"Alex Mook" <> wrote in message
news:2212b01c45c79$1f96c7f0$...
> Do I need to upgrade my domain to windows 2003 for a
> migration to Exchange 2003. I currently have 2 Windows
> 2000 DCs and an Exchange 2000 server. We will be
> migrating to a new Exchange 2003 server and we were
> wondering if it would make sense to introduce a new Win
> 2003 DC and then run a mix of Win 2000/2003 DCs and
> gradually demote the Windows 2000 DCs. Is there any added
> benefits for Exchange 2003 by adding Windows 2003 DC in
> our environment?
>
> Thanks,
> Alex
>

You do not need to upgrade to Windows Server 2003 in order to run Exchange
2003 - requirement is Windows 2000 Server SP3 or better. The recommended
upgrade path is to install Exchange 2003 in the Win2k domain first and then
upgrade to Windows 2003. See:

http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/ev.../TiWin2003.doc

and:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=325379#2

Doug Sherman
MCSE Win2k/NT4.0, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"Alex Mook" <> wrote in message
news:2212b01c45c79$1f96c7f0$...
> Do I need to upgrade my domain to windows 2003 for a
> migration to Exchange 2003. I currently have 2 Windows
> 2000 DCs and an Exchange 2000 server. We will be
> migrating to a new Exchange 2003 server and we were
> wondering if it would make sense to introduce a new Win
> 2003 DC and then run a mix of Win 2000/2003 DCs and
> gradually demote the Windows 2000 DCs. Is there any added
> benefits for Exchange 2003 by adding Windows 2003 DC in
> our environment?
>
> Thanks,
> Alex
>