[Samba] Removing Samba+LDAP, replacing W2k3+AD

[Collins, Kevin]

Four years ago, I migrated our network from Windows NT based servers to
Linux, Samba+LDAP based setups.  This setup has worked fine.  Last year,
we replaced our Exchange 5.5 server - the last "real" Windows  server -
with Scalix.  This last decision has come back to bite me.

Several new "thingys" that the boss wants, among other things, are
forcing me to implement Exchange 2003.  Because I know that Exchange
2003 requires AD and my company has three offices separated by a WAN,
I'm going to be forced to rip out my Samba underpinnings.  The fact is,
I don't know the best way to accomplish this.

I know the one way that this will work is to bring up an AD domain
beside the Samba domain and move things around by hand - but that is
going to cause a unbelievable nightmare with user profiles, and machine
accounts, and all the other crap that goes along with being part of a
domain.

So my question is this:  Can I bring up a Windows 2k3 machine as a
member server in the Samba domain.  Promote it to become an AD Domain
Controller in mixed mode - retaining the domain SID, user and machine
accounts and such so that I do not have to touch my workstations?


--
Kevin L. Collins, MCSE
Systems Manager
Nesbitt Engineering, Inc.

Please note my new email address: kcollins at nei-ky.com