Help or pointers on how to convert a windows 2012 domain controller. Best practice

[Overworked]

Hello can anyone please tell me what the best practice is for converting on of the companies windows 2012 domain controllers and how to do it?

Thanks

[abhilashhb]

Check this link and see if it helps

http://www.serverwatch.com/server-tutorials/virtualizing-active-directory-domain-controllers-general...

[Overworked]

Abhilash thanks I have seen that. I was looking for something from VMware. It does not mention anything about the virtualization tools that windows 2012 has built in to help and deal with the taking a physical domain controller and virtualizing it. Also it not detailed enough. Thank you.

[Josh26]

There's nothing about virtualising a domain controller which would be specific to VMware, so the request that you be shown a specific VMware document may not be easily achieved.

[keithb1984]

I have read and always been told that converting (P2V) a domain controller is not a good practice. I was always told to just stand up a new DC in VMware and run DC Promo then capture your FISMO roles and call it a day. On a side note I don't know how large your organization is but we keep our primary DC physical and our backup DC virtual. We do this because we also have physical servers still and VMware especially SSO authenticate to your DC so if your VMware environment goes down completely its nice still having your DC available when you bring VMware back online.

[keithb1984]

Have you read this article? If not you should read it over briefly.

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=100699...

[Josh26]

primary DC physical and our backup DC virtual

Active directory has no concept of "primary" and "backup".

A P2V is never as "clean" as a new installation, and a domain controller should be just about the easiest server to migrate and replace. It's also one of the most important servers, so it makes sense to keep it as stable as possible by building a server fresh rather than P2V'ing it.

This doesn't mean you can't do it, or that you would be asking for a specific problem to occur.

[keithb1984]

Your right... I meant "secondary" domain controller (which include active directory).

If the poster does P2V their DC please let us know how it goes. I personally wouldn't try it but if I HAD to P2V the DC I would try to do a cold conversion or stop as many services as possible prior to a live migration to avoid any strangeness that you may experience.