Question

DC Controller - making the server the DC

Asked by: sharrisfr

I transferred FSMO's and closed down my old server. My new (and now unique) server is not the DC server - so it looks like something went wrong. (My modem/router is  actually the DC server)
Q. How do I make this server the domain controller?
(idiots guide please!)
Do I leave the modem/router untouched as a secondary DC (It controlls our IP phone system).

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Asked On
2009-11-07 at 02:44:13ID24880237
Topics

Windows 2000 Operating System

,

Windows 2003 Server

Participating Experts
8
Points
500
Comments
21

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Answers

 

by: OvePosted on 2009-11-07 at 02:49:05ID: 25765752

Start -> Run -> dcpromo

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-07 at 03:02:08ID: 25765786

Hi again Ove,
Same comment as before - are you 100% sure this is the way to go with my old server out of comission?

 

by: tharsternPosted on 2009-11-07 at 03:09:37ID: 25765800

Do you not mean DHCP Server? A DC is a domain controller, and as far as I am aware there are no Modems or Routers that can perform as a Domain Controller. You need to Install and Configure DHCP services on the new Domain Controller with the same range and exclusions as the old Server.

 

by: OvePosted on 2009-11-07 at 03:12:46ID: 25765808

sharrisfr: look at other Zone. dcpromo promotes the server to a DC...and in the other answer you got the link to check for testing the fsmo-roles being on your new machine.

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-07 at 03:27:06ID: 25765849

Nope, tharstern - DC controller IS the issue here and my specific modem/router does also have DC control.

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-07 at 03:56:09ID: 25765927

Ok - I'll do this on the server. Do I leave the modem/router untouched?

 

by: OvePosted on 2009-11-07 at 04:11:08ID: 25765958

modem/router has nothing to do with fsmo-roles / dc-functionality.
this is only interesting for gateway / ip-setup.

 

by: KCTSPosted on 2009-11-07 at 05:07:57ID: 25766171

OK to make your machine a DC then:
Run DCPROMO from the command prompt, if you are prompted to install DNS then allow this to be installed
If DNS is not installed on the machine, then add DNS manually from the "Configure my server" options
Make sure that the machine is a global catalog server, see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313994
Make sure that all the clients point at the new machine as their DNS server

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-07 at 05:55:58ID: 25766333

I have 2 domain controllers - the old server (now offline) and the new server which is also the Operations Master.
RID and PDC are on the operations manager, Infrastucture is not (error - until I have only 1 DC I presume)
Can I simply delete the old DNS server or is there a proceedure to follow?

 

by: OvePosted on 2009-11-07 at 06:00:23ID: 25766349

ALL fsmo roles must be on your new DC when it#s the only one!!!
after that only DNS on the new DC iss needed

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-07 at 06:09:11ID: 25766375

I have 2 Global Catalogues.
The old server (offfline now) and the new server.
I have unticked the old server as a Global Catalogue.
Q. Do I need to reboot the new server.
Q. Do I now remove the old server from the Active Directory Sites and Services (simply delete it?)
Thanks

 

by: OvePosted on 2009-11-07 at 06:25:31ID: 25766422

 

by: MidnightOnePosted on 2009-11-07 at 07:42:14ID: 25766631

I've working from the presumption this is what happened: You had two DCs on your network and transferred the FSMOs from OldDC to NewDC, then powered down OldDC. NewDC is showing errors when you check the FSMO roles.

If - and only if - OldDC will never come back online, you need to seize those roles to NewDC. Follow the directions here: http://www.petri.co.il/seizing_fsmo_roles.htm

 

by: henjoh09Posted on 2009-11-07 at 08:34:04ID: 25766891

The old DC nead to be demoted and cleaned up from AD. If not possibly to take it online and do a normal demote using dcpromo, do a metadata cleanup as described in http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216498

If FSMOs are still on old DC, seize the roles to the DC that's alive by using ntdsutil
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504

 

by: AwinishPosted on 2009-11-07 at 09:18:27ID: 25767126

Yes remove the old server & perform metadata cleanup of removed server.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216498     Metadata Cleanup

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504     Role Seize

Run dcdiag /v

 

by: ChiefITPosted on 2009-11-07 at 22:08:17ID: 25769570

You need the clients and servers to point to your Domain server for DNS.

You say your router/modem is the domain server.

Your router/modem may provide DHCP and if so will most likely provide DNS.

The problem with your router supplying DNS is that iit will not store the SRV records. The SRV records point the way for your clients to the Authentication server and they are also pointers to other domain services. How do you expect this to be a domain server if your clients and member servers are not pointed to the DNS SRV records???

I,ll bet the DC promotion went fine and your server is the domain server. But, I would be willing to bet your DHCP clients can't find the services your DC provides, (like authentication).

If you have a complete AD database, you have a complete domain. Just disable the router from providing DHCP and enable your Domain server to supply DHCP.  

 

by: ryanswjPosted on 2009-11-08 at 00:36:47ID: 25769819

If you are on Active Directory, you could...

Go to administrative tools. Then click AD users and groups.

I think if you right click the domain name, you should see something like Delegate domain or authorize domain, cannot remember...

If it's not there try Properties

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-08 at 10:57:36ID: 25771416

Hi ChiefIT
I think you have understood the problem (yes, one of the clients has to re-map the network drives every time it's booted up!). Otherwise, all clients access the server without problems.
However, the modem/router has to be the DHCP server as we have an IP phone system and the modem/router distributes the IP's to the phones and the clients, so I can't just move DHCP to the server.
Any suggestions for other solutions?

 

by: ChiefITPosted on 2009-11-08 at 23:39:21ID: 25773984

Aha, there's always a gotcha:

I assume your phones are on a different broadcast domain. In that case, they are on a different VLAN or a different router interface. You can support your phones via a Windows DHCP server by allowing your DHCP server to support multiple subnets. This is called a superscope:

Explanation of a superscope:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc757614(WS.10).aspx

DHCP uses MAC address broadcasting:

You have probably seen the FF:FF:FF:FF MAC address. Data on these broadcasts are placed on the broadcast IP address this is the address you can't use in an IP space. So, instead of 192.168.1.1-254/24 , I am talking of the broadcast address of 192.168.1.255.

 That is a broadcast MAC address. To set up a superscope, your VLANS will be set up as different broadcasts for each subnet. Your DHCP server can then administer both VLANS.

All of this depends upon your topology:

Can you provide it.

 

by: sharrisfrPosted on 2009-11-09 at 10:31:46ID: 31651355

Thanks guys - I'm closing this query down as the info you have helped me with, togehter with info from the IP provider may help find the solution .... but in a fresh question.
Thanks again for your help

 

by: ChiefITPosted on 2009-11-09 at 15:10:19ID: 25781069

When posting a new question. Post the URL on this site. I will visit it and see if we can get you fixed up with a strong domain.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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