Upgrade Domain Controllers from 2012 R2 STANDARD TO 2019 Datacenter on a Hyper V Host Server 2016 Standard

Question

I do have 2 Domain Controllers Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard in a Hyper V host 2016 Standard. I would like to Upgrade Domain controllers to 2019 Datacenter Edition. I am migrating the Master Domain Controller to a Physical Server and the other will be replicating this Physical one.

So my Question is Whether I can upgrade these to Domain controllers from 2012 standard edition to Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition without any issues?

Any recommendations. Please help

Thank you

Ramach

Answer 1

The Latest Domain and Functional Level available is Windows Server 2016 ? I just want to confirm with you on this ?
So I can upgrade both DC's to Windows Server 2016 Domain and Forest Functional Level. Correct me if I am wrong.

Thanks a lot

Answer 2

Should not be any issues.

The two prerequisites to introducing the first 2019 domain controller are that domain functional level needs to be 2008 or higher and older sysvol FRS replication needs to have been migrated to DFSR
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Storage-at-Microsoft/Streamlined-Migration-of-FRS-to-DFSR-SYSVOL/ba-p/425405

I'd use dcdiag / repadmin tools to verify health correcting all errors found before starting any operations. Then stand up the new 2019, patch it fully, license it, join existing domain, add active directory domain services, promote it also making it a GC (recommended), transfer FSMO roles over (optional), transfer pdc emulator role (optional), use dcdiag / repadmin tools to again verify health, when all is good you can decommission / demote old one.

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Answer 3

I have done the dcdiag on one of the GC Domain Controller. This is the only part i got errors, rest of them were all passed

Doing primary tests

Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\DC02
Starting test: Advertising
......................... DC02 passed test Advertising
Starting test: FrsEvent
......................... DC02 passed test FrsEvent
Starting test: DFSREvent
There are warning or error events within the last 24 hours after the SYSVOL has been shared. F
replication problems may cause Group Policy problems.
......................... DC02 passed test DFSREvent
Starting test: SysVolCheck

Answer 4

Attached is the error. But it has been rectified immediately by the event 5004. What do you think ? Is this DC is good to go for an upgrade ?

Thanks

Answer 5

Not much to go on (lacking the rest of details) but if it was because of a backup process then it would have been normal.

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