HP CIFS Windows 2000 Interoperability (October 2002)

CIFS/9000 and Windows 2000 Interoperability

Hewlett-Packard

Chapter 3 W2000 Domain Mode: Mixed vs Native

The initial foray into Windows 2000 is dominated by the decision: Mixed Mode or Native

Mode? Before addressing this question, it is important to understand:

• Domain design implications

• What the Mixed-vs-Native installation process is

• How the overall feature set of Windows 2000 is affected

• The PDC Emulator function

• What affect the domain mode has upon CIFS/9000 member servers

3.1 Domain Design

Designing the Windows 2000 domain is clearly the single most important task of

implementing Windows 2000. Since the Advanced Directory schema can only be extended

further once it is created (as opposed to having modification control), it needs to be done

correctly the first time. The first decision is whether to start the domain in Native Mode, or

in Mixed Mode (and migrate to Native later). This task starts with the installation of the

root domain controller in the Windows 2000 domain:

• Configure a new root Domain Controller as Native Mode

• Configure a new root Domain Controller as Mixed Mode

o Migrate to Native later

• Migrate an existing NT4.0 PDC to a Domain Controller in Mixed Mode

o Migrate to Native later

The Windows 2000 domain design topic is too vast for this paper, but it is important to note

the requirement as a prerequisite for implementation.

3.2 Installation Process

A Windows 2000 root domain controller cannot be installed in Native Mode. There is a

dialog box in the installation process that implies Native Mode configuration, but actually

only manipulates group permissions, and has no effect upon the domain mode: