Solutions for managing Windows Active Directory domains

How to migrate a Windows Domain (NT or Active Directory) to a new one by using IDEAL Migration?

How to migrate users and stations to a new Active Directory Domain?

I need to migrate my old Window 2003 domain to a new Windows 2008 R2 domain.

To do a migration between two Active Directory domains, you can follow these instructions:

1. Establish a trusted relationship (bidirectional) between your source and destination domains.
   
   1. Tip: This trusted relationship is only obligatory if you use SID History attributes. If you don't want or if you can't  configure a trusted relationship, create the same account (name and password) on your source and target domains. This account must have « Domain Admins » privileges on your two domains. Use this account in step 2.
   2. If trusted relationship: Put « Domain Admins » group of your target domain into the « Administrators » local group of your source domain.
   3. If trusted relationship: Put « Domain Admins » group of your source domain into the « Administrators » local group of your target domain.
2. Install IDEAL Migration on a DC (Domain Controller) on your source domain and under the « Administrator » account or a account with « Domains Admin » privileges (same account and password on your two domains, see step 1).
3. Execute IDEAL Migration.
4. Apply your software product key by using the right click on « IDEAL Migration on local computer », and « Registration » tab. Stop and relaunch IDEAL Migration.
5. Configure SID History parameters if you need to use the SID History attribute management during the user groups and users migration: right click on « IDEAL Migration on local computer » and « SID History » tab.
6. Important: SID History management needs some Microsoft requirements. Please read: How to manage the SID History attribute?
7. Add a MMC component to manage your target DC: menu « File », « Add/remove a plug-in software component », « Add » button, select « IDEAL Migration », select « Other computer », and then indicate the NetBIOS name of the target DC.
8. Tip: Make sure there are no problem of access permissions from the source domain by developing different categories of objects of your target domain (eg "Organizational Units", "Users", ...).
9. Migrate Organizational Units (if needed), user groups (if needed) and user accounts by executing the Assistant of Migration from the « IDEAL Migration on local computer » component.
10. In this Assistant of migration, select the objects you need to migrate and indicate the target DC name.
11. In each object dialog box, you can select an Organizational Unit for the destination by using the « Translation » mode. For this, configure the « Translation » mode on « Organizational unit » and select the Organization Unit.
    
12. Important: If you select an organizational unit for the user groups target, you need to select the same organizational unit for your user accounts. Otherwise, IDEAL Migration can not put the users into their original groups.
    
13. Tip: Once you have configured all your migration dialog boxes, save your migration project before executing it. Once saved, you could easily load it for a next execution. To load a migration project, select « IDEAL Migration on local computer », right click, and then « Open a project migration ».
    
14. Tip: After each migration, consult the generated log file and verify that you have no error.
    
15. Once you have migrated all your Active Directory objects from your source server (OU, groups, users), you can now migrate the client stations. The client station migration allows to migrate all user profiles and also to put automatically the station into the new domain. Before use this option, you need to previously migrate users by using IDEAL Migration (step 8).
    
16. Execute the client station migration by using: « IDEAL Migration on local computer », « Scheduling a security/domain changes », « Add a task ».
    
17. Tip: Before migrating client stations, try to join the target domain from a station. For example, by executing a ping command (eg:  ping newdomain.local ). If your domain is unreachable, verify your DNS, firewall or network configuration.