Question

Active Directory authenticating against wrong domain controller.

Asked by: beatmix01

I have Active Directory running on two Windows 2003 Server Standard boxes with Exchange 2003.

Here is the process of what has happened and I am not sure quite why.

I setup my domain with my PDC on a Dell Xeon 2.8Ghz server and Exchange on another server w/ the same specs.

Later on I introduced a secondary domain controller into my network, this server running on an old Dell PIII 800mhz machine (More as a precautionary measure than anything else.)

Upon doing that my exchange server is constantly referring to the secondary domain controller for all active directory tasks.  It should be using the primary as it is running on superior hardware.

All domain controllers are running W2k3 SP2 and Exchange is still running Win2k3 SP1.

Any info is greatly appreciated.

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Asked On
2007-10-29 at 11:59:08ID22925191
Tags

domain

,

controller

,

wrong

,

authenticating

,

2003

Topics

Windows 2003 Server

,

Active Directory

,

Exchange Email Server

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
10

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Answers

 

by: KCTSPosted on 2007-10-29 at 12:07:59ID: 20172308

There is no such thinh as a primary and secondary Domain controller in Active Directory, Machines will respond to the first Domain Controller in their own site that they come across - all being equal. Want you can do however is to make them unequal. Find the SRV LDAP record(s) for the second server in DNS and increase the priority.
see http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/reskit/distrib/dsbc_nar_sdns.mspx?mfr=true
for details of the SRV records

 

by: beatmix01Posted on 2007-10-29 at 12:20:16ID: 20172416

There seem to be many_ldap records listed as SRV records.  Is there a specific branch I should be making the changes on?

_msdcs
_sites
_tcp
_domaindnszone
_forestdnszones

 

by: KCTSPosted on 2007-10-29 at 12:33:35ID: 20172540

I've done a bit of reseatch and it would appear that changing the registry so that the LDAP records are actually registered with a different priority inthe forst place is the preferred option - see http://books.google.com/books?id=p-yw7g2R-4kC&pg=RA3-PA106&lpg=RA3-PA106&dq=svr+find+domain+controller&source=web&ots=9ZBVEYuCMl&sig=Eec9fAud2aa3wS8IEuYmfNVtwps#PRA3-PA106,M1

 

by: SembeePosted on 2007-10-29 at 12:48:17ID: 20172677

Exchange will use the first domain controller to respond. Once it has attached itself to a domain controller it will use that one exclusively until it is rebooted. Then it looks again.
You should not consider forcing Exchange to use a specific domain controller as that can have performance issues if that DC then goes down for any length of time.

Unless you are running a very high number of users on very low spec hardware, you shouldn't see much of a performance hit with a less spec dc. Domain lookup is such a low use of resources anyway.

Simon.

--
Once your question has been answered, please remember to accept an answer and close the question.

 

by: beatmix01Posted on 2007-10-29 at 12:50:41ID: 20172716

Sembee-

With its default config, if I have to reboot the DC that Exchange has bound to, shouldnt it fail over to the other domain controller?  According to Outlook, once the bound server goes down, Outlook can no longer connect to the Exchange server until said server comes back up.

 

by: beatmix01Posted on 2007-10-29 at 12:53:07ID: 20172734

One other thing, does it make a difference if both servers are set as a Global Catalog server?

 

by: SembeePosted on 2007-10-29 at 12:58:09ID: 20172773

Exchange will not fail over to another domain controller for about 35 minutes. It is not instant and that behaviour cannot be changed.
Exchange only uses global catalogs for its AD functionality. However as far as I am concerned, if you only have two domain controllers having the second one NOT set as a global catalog is a waste of time.

Simon.

--
Once your question has been answered, please remember to accept an answer and close the question.

 

by: beatmix01Posted on 2007-10-29 at 13:14:40ID: 20172904

So far all your info has been truly appreciated, however I think maybe I should have rephrased my question, after reading your comments.


Shouldn't it be using the server with the better specs be used for AD tasks, for both the domain and exchange?

FYI, my network has approximately 30 users on it.

 

by: SembeePosted on 2007-10-29 at 13:18:27ID: 20172928

As I stated above - Exchange will use the first server to respond. Has nothing to do with the specification of the servers.
With 30 uses, you could run DCs on PIII 500s with 256mb of RAM and not see any difference. Once the DC has booted up it will be fine.
You could run 300 users on that spec.

Simon.

--
Once your question has been answered, please remember to accept an answer and close the question.

 

by: beatmix01Posted on 2007-10-29 at 13:23:37ID: 20172963

Ok, great.  Since both of you essentially answered my question, I am going to split the points among you.  Thanks for the help guys.  Much appreciated.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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