Guide to Migration

The purpose of this paper is to help customers who have existing implementations of Windows NT® Server understand how to migrate to Microsoft's next generation Directory Service. This is an introduction and an overview of migration to the next generation Directory Service; it is not a tutorial on how to design great Windows NT directory trees. Two of the main features of the next generation Directory Services are: 1) complete interoperability with Windows NT 3.x and 4.x, and 2) a very easy migration from Windows NT 4.x domains. This paper will give you examples of how such a migration will take place for the traditional Windows NT 4.x domain models.

As we proceed through the document there are three things to remember about migrating to the next generation Directory Service:

• You can proceed at your own pace, and stop at any time.
• Compatibility with existing Windows NT 3.x and 4.x domains and their clients is maintained at all times both during and after the migration.
• The view of the system from the end user's perspective does not change until you want it to change.