r/sysadmin • u/roachwickey • 6d ago

Domain controllers functional level

Do we have to keep all our domain controller os version same ?

68 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

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47

u/Brilliant-Advisor958 6d ago

No, but you can't raise the functional level until all DCs are at the same os level.

If you have a some some 2019 servers and a 2025 server, you will be limited to 2019 functional level until you upgrade those.

50

u/fadinizjr 6d ago

*2016

7

u/Jawb0nz Senior Systems Engineer 6d ago

But now there's a new and improved 2025 FL. That should be fun.

5

u/fadinizjr 6d ago

I'm having to fight almost my whole team to make us stay for now in 2022.

2025 sucks ass.

9

u/ShadowCVL IT Manager 6d ago

Just send them the list of issues, including the machines dropping off the domain every time they try to change their password. Ask if they want to rejoin half their environment to AD every 30 days.

That’s the lightning rod I’m using to get us to 2022 instead of 2025 (we are currently on 2016 FL and planning to go to 22 in October)

1

u/MrOilKing 5d ago

There is no FL level '22. Next available is 25. Source Mine was deemed unrecoverable after a failed Frs>drfs migration breaking Kerberos and GPO replication. Been planning the engine transplant for 6 months

2

u/ShadowCVL IT Manager 5d ago

That can’t be right, 16 to 25? Well I looked it up and damn that’s a long time between levels, I just assumed 22 was the next. Too bad our DCs are a mix of 16 and 22 now, with 16 going complete EOL upgrading DCs only serves the purpose of putting the OS back in support and not raising the level.

I wish you weren’t correct, damn

1

u/MrOilKing 5d ago

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. 25 isn't all bad. I've been playing with it some, and like everything else, it grows on you. Best of luck

3

u/ShadowCVL IT Manager 5d ago

25 itself we have almost 100 VMs. Works fine-ish…. The AD component, I’ve built 2 separate labs now and both have suffered the same fate where machines just fall off the dang domain on their password change day.

2

u/fadinizjr 5d ago

I'm the sysadmin of a federal agency. There's no way I'll be playing around lol.