Can the Windows Server 2003 Active Directory ad forest/domain functional level be directly promoted to Windows Server 2012?
Which Windows Server versions of Active Directory ad forest/domain functional level can be directly promoted to Windows Server 2012?
Can the Windows Server 2012 Active Directory AD forest/domain functional level be downgraded directly to Windows Server 2008?
Which Windows Server versions of the Active Directory ad forest/domain functional level can be demoted directly to Windows Server 2008?
The Active Directory forest/domain functional level of Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server version R2 can be directly promoted to the win Dows Server 2012.
After you set the forest functional level to a value, you cannot roll back or lower the forest functional level, except in one case: when you elevate the forest functional level to Windows Server 2012, you can downgrade it to Windows Server R2. If the Active Directory Recycle Bin is not enabled, you can also reduce the forest functional level from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server R2 or Windows Server 2008, or from Windows Ser Ver R2 reduced back to Windows Server 2008. For example, if you set the forest functional level to Windows Server R2, you cannot roll it back to Windows Server 2003.
After you set the domain functional level to a value, you cannot roll back or lower the domain functional level, with one exception: when you promote the domain functional level to Windows Server R2 or Windows Server 2012, and the forest functional level is Windows Server 200 At 8 or lower, you can choose to roll back the domain functional level to Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server R2. You can only downgrade the domain functional level from Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server R2 or to Windows Server 2008 or downgrade from Windows Server R2 to Windows Serv ER 2008. For example, if you set the domain functional level to Windows Server R2, you cannot roll it back to Windows Server 2003.
About Active Directory ad forest/domain functional level promotion/demotion issues