We have 20 Windows XP pc in a Windows 2003 domain controler/ActiveDirecory. In the same domain we have a Windows 2016 "large" physical server (most of the time not in use). Because we have an application that requires IE6 we have stuck with Windows XP. Due to the situation that has arisen with the COVID, users have to work from home. So the most traditional solution is remote access to the desktop. For this reason we used the VPN service of Windows 2003 domain controller to connect the user's home pc to the corporate domain and then rdp to the desired PC. Is there a better solution? I have read that Windows 2016 has many and incredible features about remote work but I have been told that it is not possible to use it for this purpose because it is not the domain controller. Is that true?
2 Answers
You have a Line of Business application that requires the use of IE6 so you run Windows XP in your Windows 2003 domain? Is there a better solution? No.
You need to get rid of your technical debt.
There is one that is VERY secure and quite straightforward: SSH tunnels over a Linux machine in your network, published on the internet.
But it requires some (basic, indeed) Linux + OpenSSH knowledge.
It also comes at NO cost.
By the way: Win2016 can be DC member (or better say "peer") of a 2008 domain. So you should at least install a Win2008 server, raise the domain functional mode to 2008 and then join Win2016. Remove Win2008 at the end.
See here:
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/ba021802-e085-487b-8b7d-d0fb9c957ae7/can-windows-2016-domain-controller-join-to-windows-2003-active-directory?forum=winserverDS#:~:text=DC%202016%20will%20not%20support,needs%20to%20be%20changed%20before.
