Need Clarity Regarding Win 2008 DC and Exchange 03 SP2

Hi All,

I was hoping someone could provide some clarity regarding installing a Win
2008 DC into an existing 2003 sp2 native mode domain that contains Exchange
2003 sp2.

I have looked at the compatibility matrix as well as some other posts here
and wanted to confirm the following:
A Win 2008 DC is supported and Exchange 2003 SP2 will work fine as long as
there are still other 2003 DC's around and the domain functional level
remains at 2003?
Does this holds true for NT machines as well?
Is it OK for the 2008 DC to hold all the FSMO roles and everything still
work normally? (All our DC's are GC's so we don't have to worry about the
Infrastructure Master conflict).

Thanks in advance!!!!

Hello da,

Windows Server 2008 DCs will work together with Exchange 2003 SP2, see "Exchange
Server and Windows Server 2008 Directory Servers" in:
http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/20...16/446709.aspx

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Hi All,
>
> I was hoping someone could provide some clarity regarding installing a
> Win 2008 DC into an existing 2003 sp2 native mode domain that contains
> Exchange 2003 sp2.
>
> I have looked at the compatibility matrix as well as some other posts
> here and wanted to confirm the following: A Win 2008 DC is supported
> and Exchange 2003 SP2 will work fine as long as there are still other
> 2003 DC's around and the domain functional level remains at 2003?
> Does this holds true for NT machines as well? Is it OK for the 2008
> DC to hold all the FSMO roles and everything still work normally? (All
> our DC's are GC's so we don't have to worry about the Infrastructure
> Master conflict).
>
> Thanks in advance!!!!
>

Thanks for the quick reply Meinolf!

I must have misread the compatibility chart - the 2008 R2 version is not
compatible but 2008 and 2008 SP2 are.

Does the same hold true for the NT machines? I did read
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942564 - and am I right in that it is talking
about if the domain is at a 2008 functional level? Even so, does the
workaround in group policy work at the 2008 functional level or do I need to
keep the 2003 DC's around?

Thanks again.

"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:

> Hello da,
>
> Windows Server 2008 DCs will work together with Exchange 2003 SP2, see "Exchange
> Server and Windows Server 2008 Directory Servers" in:
> http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/20...16/446709.aspx
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
>
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I was hoping someone could provide some clarity regarding installing a
> > Win 2008 DC into an existing 2003 sp2 native mode domain that contains
> > Exchange 2003 sp2.
> >
> > I have looked at the compatibility matrix as well as some other posts
> > here and wanted to confirm the following: A Win 2008 DC is supported
> > and Exchange 2003 SP2 will work fine as long as there are still other
> > 2003 DC's around and the domain functional level remains at 2003?
> > Does this holds true for NT machines as well? Is it OK for the 2008
> > DC to hold all the FSMO roles and everything still work normally? (All
> > our DC's are GC's so we don't have to worry about the Infrastructure
> > Master conflict).
> >
> > Thanks in advance!!!!
> >
>
>
> .
>

Sorry - I found more info as well - according to the compatibility matrix
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...CHG.80%29.aspx
the domain functional and forest functional levels of 2008 and 2008 R2 are
both unsupported with Exch 2003 sp2.

So although a 2008 DC is supported, the domain functional level cannot be
increased to 2008, correct?

Regards.

"da crusher" wrote:

> Thanks for the quick reply Meinolf!
>
> I must have misread the compatibility chart - the 2008 R2 version is not
> compatible but 2008 and 2008 SP2 are.
>
> Does the same hold true for the NT machines? I did read
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942564 - and am I right in that it is talking
> about if the domain is at a 2008 functional level? Even so, does the
> workaround in group policy work at the 2008 functional level or do I need to
> keep the 2003 DC's around?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:
>
> > Hello da,
> >
> > Windows Server 2008 DCs will work together with Exchange 2003 SP2, see "Exchange
> > Server and Windows Server 2008 Directory Servers" in:
> > http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/20...16/446709.aspx
> >
> > Best regards
> >
> > Meinolf Weber
> > Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> > no rights.
> > ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> > ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> >
> >
> > > Hi All,
> > >
> > > I was hoping someone could provide some clarity regarding installing a
> > > Win 2008 DC into an existing 2003 sp2 native mode domain that contains
> > > Exchange 2003 sp2.
> > >
> > > I have looked at the compatibility matrix as well as some other posts
> > > here and wanted to confirm the following: A Win 2008 DC is supported
> > > and Exchange 2003 SP2 will work fine as long as there are still other
> > > 2003 DC's around and the domain functional level remains at 2003?
> > > Does this holds true for NT machines as well? Is it OK for the 2008
> > > DC to hold all the FSMO roles and everything still work normally? (All
> > > our DC's are GC's so we don't have to worry about the Infrastructure
> > > Master conflict).
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance!!!!
> > >
> >
> >
> > .
> >

Sorry adding to my confusion - so according to
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...CHG.80%29.aspx -both
the domain functional and forest functional levels of 2008 and 2008 R2 are
not supported with Exch 2003 SP2.

So even if I have only 2008 DC's, the domain/forest functional levels still
need to be at 2003, right?

Best Regards.

"da crusher" wrote:

> Thanks for the quick reply Meinolf!
>
> I must have misread the compatibility chart - the 2008 R2 version is not
> compatible but 2008 and 2008 SP2 are.
>
> Does the same hold true for the NT machines? I did read
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942564 - and am I right in that it is talking
> about if the domain is at a 2008 functional level? Even so, does the
> workaround in group policy work at the 2008 functional level or do I need to
> keep the 2003 DC's around?
>
> Thanks again.
>
> "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:
>
> > Hello da,
> >
> > Windows Server 2008 DCs will work together with Exchange 2003 SP2, see "Exchange
> > Server and Windows Server 2008 Directory Servers" in:
> > http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/20...16/446709.aspx
> >
> > Best regards
> >
> > Meinolf Weber
> > Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> > no rights.
> > ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> > ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> >
> >
> > > Hi All,
> > >
> > > I was hoping someone could provide some clarity regarding installing a
> > > Win 2008 DC into an existing 2003 sp2 native mode domain that contains
> > > Exchange 2003 sp2.
> > >
> > > I have looked at the compatibility matrix as well as some other posts
> > > here and wanted to confirm the following: A Win 2008 DC is supported
> > > and Exchange 2003 SP2 will work fine as long as there are still other
> > > 2003 DC's around and the domain functional level remains at 2003?
> > > Does this holds true for NT machines as well? Is it OK for the 2008
> > > DC to hold all the FSMO roles and everything still work normally? (All
> > > our DC's are GC's so we don't have to worry about the Infrastructure
> > > Master conflict).
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance!!!!
> > >
> >
> >
> > .
> >