Step-By-Step: Migrating Windows Server 2003 FSMO Roles To Windows Server 2012 R2

With it being over 10 years since the Windows Server 2003 release, there is now less than 5 months left as of the time of this post was published for official Microsoft support.

This guide was created as additional resource addressing the need to transfer DC FSMO roles from windows server 2003 to windows server 2012 R2. In Windows DC environment, FSMO roles hold all the required information regarding the DC. It is a necessity to have all this 5 roles working correctly to maintain proper DC environment. The roles in question are as follows:

• Schema master
• Domain naming master
• RID master
• PDC emulator
• Infrastructure master

The following setup is used for this demonstration:

In this example, the windows 2012 r2 server is already added to the domain and promoted to an additional domain controller.

Note : Before adding Windows Server 2008 to a Windows Server 2003 environment, preparation of the forest and domain schema by running adprep \forestprep and adprep \domainprep  from windows 2008 source files \ support \ adprep is required. In Windows Server 2012 R2 you do not need to worry about it when adding said server as additional domain controller. When you run the dcpromo it will automatically update it in Windows Server 2003 machine remotely.

Step 1: Transferring the RID master, PDC emulator and Infrastructure Master Roles
 
As the first step let’s look how we can transfer these 3 roles over to new server.

1. Log in to the windows 2012 R2 server as domain administrator
    
2. Click on Server Manager > Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers
    
   
    
3. In MMC, right click on the domain name then click on Operation Masters
    
   
    
4. In next window it will show the 3 FSMO roles. The default is PDC. In there it shows the current PDC holder. Then it is asking if need to change it to new windows 2012 r2 server click on Change.
    
   
    
5. Click Yes to continue
    
   
    
6. Once its confirm as operation completed we can see the window shows the current PDC role holder as new windows 2012 r2 server
    
   
    
7. Please repeat the same steps to transfer the RID master and Infrastructure master Roles
    

Step 2: Transfer domain naming master role

1. Log in to the windows 2012 R2 server as domain administrator
    
2. Click on Server Manager > Tools > Active Directory Domains and Trusts
    
   
    
3. In the MMC, right click on Active Directory Domains and Trusts > Operations Master…
    
   
    
4. In here it shows the current domain naming master role holder (canitpro-dc2k3.canitpro.local) and its asking if we need to move it to windows server 2012 R2 (CANITPRO-DC2K12.canitpro.local). Click on change to move the role over
    
   
    
5. Click Yes to continue
    
   
    
6. Once its confirm about task completion we can see current domain naming master is windows server 2012 R2 (CANITPRO-DC2K12.canitpro.local)
    
   
    

Step 3: Transfer schema master role

1. Log in to the windows 2012 R2 server as domain administrator
    
2. Open the Run window in server (Windows key + R) and type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll and press enter
    
   
    
3. Click OK to continue
    
   
    
4. Open the Run window again, type mmc and click OK
    
   
    
5. Then in mmc window click on File > Add-Remove Snap-in…
    
   
    
6. Then from snap in select Active Directory Schema and click on the Add button
    
   
    
7. Click on the Ok button to continue
    
   
    
8. Then right click Active Directory Schema and click Change Active Directory Domain Controller
    
   
    
9. In Next window select the windows server 2012 R2 DC (CANITPRO-DC2K12.canitpro.local) and click ok
    
   
    
10. An information message is provided. Click OK to continue
     
    
     
11. Right click Active Directory Schema > Operation Master
     
    
     
12. In here it shows the current schema master role holder (canitpro-dc2k3.canitpro.local) and its asking if we need to move it to windows server 2012 R2 (CANITPRO-DC2K12.canitpro.local). Click Change to move the role over
     
    
     
13. Click Yes to continue
     
    
     
14. Once it’s confirmed, the current schema master will now display windows server 2012 R2 (CANITPRO-DC2K12.canitpro.local)
     
    
     

Now we successfully move all . To confirm all 5 FSMO roles have been moved over to the new windows server 2012 R2, open command prompt in said server and type command netdom query fsmo and press enter.

It will take some time to move all the data over. After that it’s safe to demote the DC role from the windows 2003 server.
Once demoted, make sure the forest functional level and domain functional level is raised to Windows Server 2012 R2 to experience new changes.