SYSVOL not replicating through FRS.

Hi,

I am trying to create a test set up for setting up two domain controllers in my LAN for file replication.

First of all I am not clear as to how the two domain controllers have to be set up.

The first Win2k server with SP4 in it is promoted to a DC by selecting the following options in dcpromo.exe

- select "Domain Controller for a New Domain"
- "Create a new domain tree"
-"Create a new forest of domain trees"

and then following the other steps of the Active Directory Installation wizard. After this my DC has a NETBIOS name DC1 and the fully qualified computer name is "cname1.DC1", where cname1 is the hostname of computer 1.

Once that is done the second Win2k server which has SP3 is promoted to a DC by selecting the following options in dcpromo.exe

- select "Domain Controller for a New Domain"
- "Create a new domain tree"
- "Place this new domain tree in an existing forest".

and then following the other steps of the Active Directory Installation wizard. After this the second DC has a NETBIOS name DC2 and the fully qualified computer name is "cname2.DC2", where cname2 is the hostname of computer 2.

CLARIFICATION 1: Is my second domain controller installation option correct. Between what type of Domain Controller's does File Replication take place. Should the second server be a promoted to a child domain/ additional domain controller or what else?????

Well, with the options that I selected as mentioned above SYSVOL is not replicating. I have read through and applied most of the fixes for DNS specified at the Microsoft sites. I am able to ping between the two machines using the fully qualified computer names.

I can see Connection objects that are <automatically_Generated> under AD SItes and Services under each NTDS Connection Settings.

But still I cannot see any replication. Moreover all directories that should show under SYSVOL directory is there except the DO_NOT_REMOVE_NtFrs_PreInstall_Directory
directory.

The FRS article says that if a file is created under the directory

\\Winnt\Sysvol\Sysvol\domain_name\file_name_equals_server_name then all domain controllers should recived this file.

For both the DC's  I have added the registry entry described in MS article - 300684 for supporting single-label dns names.

Any help or clue to sort this out would greatly be appreciated. This is an urgent requirement.

Thanks and Regards,
Nima.