Question

Adding DC and DNS to application server

Asked by: bleujaegel

I mentioned to someone that I was going to promote our application server to a DC/DNS server.  I want to do this because there is currently only one DC/DNS server on the network, and it randomly blue screens once a week.  I'm worried that it will go, and so will the domain.  Anyhow, he said that this may break the functionality from the financial applications that  currently reside on it.  I'm  not sure exactly how, but I have never tried this before.

My question is, has anyone ever had any issues with taking an application server and making it a DC and had the applications fail after doing so?

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Asked On
2008-01-19 at 07:10:37ID23095649
Tags

microsoft

,

windows server

,

2003

Topics

Windows 2003 Server

,

MS SQL Server

,

Active Directory

Participating Experts
5
Points
500
Comments
9

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Answers

 

by: beowulfsPosted on 2008-01-19 at 07:16:00ID: 20697574

yes.
i had to resetup the entire application after the dcpromo.  it was worth it, but time consuming.
microsoft does not recommend running terminal services on a DC:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/en-us/terminal/terminal_faq.mspx

instead, i think you would be better served by buying a cheap 500 machine and using it as a dc (it's probably how much your time would cost anyway to dcpromo the other one).

 

by: beowulfsPosted on 2008-01-19 at 07:16:52ID: 20697575

Before installing Terminal Server
Review the following information before you install Terminal Server:

" Read System Planning for system sizing and performance considerations.
 
" Read "Hosting Applications with Terminal Server" at the Microsoft Windows Resource Kit Web site.
 
" Plan to install Terminal Server on a standalone server, not on a domain controller. When installed on a domain controller, Terminal Server performance is affected because of the additional memory, network traffic, and processor time required to perform the tasks of a domain controller in a domain.
 
" Install Terminal Server on a server installed on an NTFS file system partition. NTFS provides greater security for users in a multisession environment.
 
" Understand the effect of the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration setting on users of a terminal server. When you install Terminal Server using the Configure Your Server Wizard, this setting prohibits Administrators from downloading files or ActiveX controls from the Web by default as a security precaution. However, all non-Administrator users can download files or ActiveX controls. After you install Terminal Server, you can change this setting to allow both Administrators and non-Administrator users to perform these tasks, or to prevent all users from performing these tasks. Use Add/Remove Windows Components in Add or Remove Programs to change this setting. This setting applies to servers running one of the Windows Server 2003 family operating systems. For more information, see Terminal server role: Configuring a terminal server and Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration.
 
" Install the programs you want to use with Terminal Server after Terminal Server is installed. This allows Terminal Server to register the programs for multisession access, making the programs easier to manage. For more information about installing programs, see Installing Programs.
 
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/f348b35e-49ab-49c1-8a66-f72a80a265901033.mspx?mfr=true

 

by: tqmbillPosted on 2008-01-19 at 07:18:02ID: 20697581

Make an image of the application server (e.g. Ghost).  Install it on another server in a test LAN separate from your production network.  Run DCPROMO on it and then test the application.  If it works, go for it on your production network.  If it doesn't work, your fallback position is to restore the Ghost image you made.

A safer option is to install AD on a new server and leave your application server alone.  This is what I'd recommend if you can possibly afford a new server.  With the blue screens, you may be looking at new hardware soon anyway.  And you're FAR better off having another DC before the one crashes.

I hope you have a good backup system in place for your AD.

 

by: bleujaegelPosted on 2008-01-19 at 07:33:49ID: 20697627

Ghost allows you to install the image on a server with dissimilar hardware?  And no blue-screens on startup?

 

by: lamaslanyPosted on 2008-01-19 at 09:51:26ID: 20698206

@bleujaegel:

I'd be inclined to perform SysPrep (or equivalent) on the App Server prior to creating the image.  That said if the original server and the newly-imaged server will never be on the same network you can skip this step.

You may encounter problems using different hardware for the original server and the newly imaged server if:
* the HAL types are different between App Server and the destination machine
* there is a difference between the processor type (uni-processor vs. multiprocessor).  Another HAL issue.

There may be driver issues but these probably will not stop it bootng unless it affects the boot media (IDE/SATA/SCSI).  It might simply require a small modification of the boot.ini file.

 

by: mihapiPosted on 2008-01-19 at 10:19:56ID: 20698326

Hi,

You could also open new question and give us dump files that are created when blue screen occurs. That way we can figure out what is causing the blue screens (e.g. what drivers) and you can fix the problem.

Mike

 

by: tqmbillPosted on 2008-01-20 at 04:00:13ID: 20700848

The question needs to be restated.  Give beowulfs the points for answering "yes" to the question: "Has anyone ever had problems...?" and start over again.  As mihapi points out, the questioner hasn't asked for help with his specific problem, only whether anyone has or has not experienced problems in a hypothetical situation.

 

by: dtoddPosted on 2008-01-20 at 17:15:47ID: 20703276

Hi,

Running SQL Server on a DC is not a best practice. MS recommends against that.

Cheers
  David

 

by: bleujaegelPosted on 2008-05-29 at 00:10:55ID: 21666911

Well here is what I have come up with so far.  I've had no problems in my test lab.  I setup a test W2K3 server and installed Exchange, Symantec antivirus with corporate console, Timeslips, Office 2003, Adobe Acrobat, and Backup Exec.  After promoting it to a DC, I experienced no problems with anything whatsoever.  
I also did this on a production server without any problems.  They were running 2 financial applications, with one of them using SQL.  I even spoke with the technical support for both companies and they said there weren't any known problems with their software after promoting to a DC.  So from what I'm seeing, there normally shouldn't be any issues with applications after promting a member server to a DC.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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