Our company had an old installation of SCCM 2007 on a Win2003 Server. The server was set up as a Domain Controller in Active Directory (I have no idea why as it predates my employment with this company). It was also extended into the AD per SCCM instructions. Here comes the problem... I'm in the process of creating another SCCM server on a Win2008 platform. My question is this. Can I deleted the old SCCM (which cannot be demoted from DC status) from Active Directory without messing anything else up in AD? When I go to delete the old SCCM, it tells me that it will be removing containers. I assume that it is only the SCCM (system management) container... but you know what assuming does. Or... can I just extend the new SCCM into the AD and not worry about deleting the old SCCM? My biggest fear is that my AD will somehow become corrupt. This is unacceptable as this is a LIVE environment. Server/Software Info: DC/AD: Win2003 Old SCCM: Win2003 (set as a DC in AD... but not used as a DC) Thanks in advance.

You can safely delete the old objects in the System Management container; don't delete the System Management container, just the objects, including sub-containers that are in it. You can delete everything in the container if in doubt of which are new and which are old and the new/active ConfigMgr site will recreate the necessary ones -- I'm assuming you uninstalled the old site also. Extending the schema is a one time, irreversible process, there is no need to ever run the extension again. There is no harm if you do, but it essentially results in a no-op. Deleting objects in AD will not corrupt it in any way particularily not the ConfigMgr objects which are there for explicit use of ConfigMgr.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

Just want to add to Jason's reply that any object in the System Management container will automatically be recreated by Configuration Manager (if needed). No other services but ConfigMgr. is using the System Management container, you can delete all older objects without any problems.Kent Agerlund | My blogs: http://blog.coretech.dk/author/kea/ and http://scug.dk/ | Twitter @Agerlund | Linkedin: /kentagerlund

Thank you guys for your help so far. From your responses, I understand that I can delete any object below the System Management container without worry. But can I delete the old SCCM object (remember it is set as a domain controller... although it serves no DC purpose)?

What SCCM object are you refering to? The only objects that ConfigMgr creates or explicitly uses are those under the System Management container. Are you talking about the computer object for the old site server which is also a DC? If so, that has nothing to do with ConfigMgr. What do you mean it serves no DC purpose? Are you trying to decommision the DC also? To decommission a DC, you need to run dcpromo, you can't simply delete it.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

I'm talking about the computer object for the old site server that was also a DC. The old SCCM was originaly set up as a DC (why, I have no idea... but it serves no purpose today). I can't decommission it because the server doesn't exist anymore. After further reading, I believe I'll have to follow the steps outlined here.. http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216498 and/or here http://www.petri.co.il/delete_failed_dcs_from_ad.htm to fully remove it from Active Directory. This problem has turned out to be more of an AD issue than a ConfigMgr issue. My original question was somewhat answered though by you, Jason. I can delete all objects below the System Management container. Thank you for your time and help.

Correct on the what to do and the this is bigger than a ConfigMgr issue. Bad joo-joos to simply delete or turn-off a DC and that's why I was delving more to make sure I didn't direct you to do something like that. You should be OK following those guides though.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

Thanks again for the help, Jason!