MortgageGuy
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Promoting 2nd domain controller
I recently pulled Windows NT server from our network replacing it with Windows 2000 server mirroring the computer name, IP address, DNS, DHCP range just about everything that I could get my hands on. It appears to be working fine but, there was an existing Windows 2000 server acting as a member server that had terminal server and hosted our company Intranet. Now, I'm trying to promote the server to be a domain controller and install exchange 2000. I can't run dcpromo because I'm getting all kinds of DNS lookup errors and it says I can't connect to my active directory on my new windows 2000 server. HELP!!! I have looked all over the Internet searching through google and I just can't seem to get it to work. Any ideas?
Thanks
Bret
Thanks
Bret
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Right now I have both servers with a static IP address - main dc 10.0.1.2 and member server 10.0.1.100 everyone else uses DHCP. If I understand you correctly I have already picked out my main dc and I just need to direct it to look at itself for DNS, which means put everyone of my users including both servers preferred DNS address to be 10.0.1.2. Then go into DNS click on the properties of the main dc, click on the forwarders tab check enable forwarders and put in my two dns addresses.
Sounds good!!! Any other advice as I'm going to be installing exchange 2000 on the 10.0.1.100 server and sound organizational structure using Active Directory on the 10.0.1.2 server?
Bret
Sounds good!!! Any other advice as I'm going to be installing exchange 2000 on the 10.0.1.100 server and sound organizational structure using Active Directory on the 10.0.1.2 server?
Bret
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Robspiere, my pc is connecting to the network and the Internet as you suggested, but I'm still unable to promote my member server. Would I need to reboot?
You bring up an interesting point Zefiro. I am very open to any suggestions for a long term stable network. It was my understanding that Exchange is required to be installed on a DC, am I wrong? Would you suggest that I install Exchange and the Intranet server on another PC and leave Terminal Server on its own. I only have two copies of Windows 2000 Server and one is being used for my primary DC. I still have two copies for Windows NT Server 4.0. My mortgage company is growing drastically with the intention of opening small offices in existing real estate company offices in other cities. They will need to access the network via VPN.
What do you think? I greatly appreciate everyone's expertise.
Bret
You bring up an interesting point Zefiro. I am very open to any suggestions for a long term stable network. It was my understanding that Exchange is required to be installed on a DC, am I wrong? Would you suggest that I install Exchange and the Intranet server on another PC and leave Terminal Server on its own. I only have two copies of Windows 2000 Server and one is being used for my primary DC. I still have two copies for Windows NT Server 4.0. My mortgage company is growing drastically with the intention of opening small offices in existing real estate company offices in other cities. They will need to access the network via VPN.
What do you think? I greatly appreciate everyone's expertise.
Bret
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I'm still getting the same original error message about the DNS lookup problem when I promote my member server using dcpromo. I rebooted the server this morning. The exact error message says The domain domaincontroller.domain.lo
I don't want to start a new thread, but I'll increase the points a little bit. Don't worry I'm not going to forget anyone of you when I go to award the points.
MSGeek - I have 50 users in three primary locations and then three or four additional locations consisting of about 10 users who either connect via terminal server or through a small four port vpn sonic wall box.
I don't want to start a new thread, but I'll increase the points a little bit. Don't worry I'm not going to forget anyone of you when I go to award the points.
MSGeek - I have 50 users in three primary locations and then three or four additional locations consisting of about 10 users who either connect via terminal server or through a small four port vpn sonic wall box.
To clarify, you have 50 users spread across three primary locations? How far apart are these locations? What type of link do they have between them? The three or four additional locations, I need the same information as to type of link.
The info on the Sonic Wall was helpful, what about the servers themselves. So far from what you describe I would highly recommend a seperate server for TS.
The info on the Sonic Wall was helpful, what about the servers themselves. So far from what you describe I would highly recommend a seperate server for TS.
ASKER
It is my understanding that our main office has a t1 line and we connect via frame relay to the other two locations. They don't connect to a server at these locations, but a windows xp home edition computer that Everyone else connects through the Internet via terminal server and we're expecting to grow. I don't want to have keep buying a bunch of terminal server cals. Our servers are nothing great, a P4 with 512Mb of memory for the main dc and a p3 with 256MB of memory for the terminal server. I plan on upgrading the memory in them both a.s.a.p. From our discussions and by talking with the man with the check book, I think we are going to need another windows 2000 server for Exchange server and probably another 25 Cals to put us at 75 seats.
I would agree, also that XP home should go! That is a trainwreck waiting to happen. AT the very least you may want to place a router and a switch at each of the two ends rather than a workstation running XP Home. I would opt for 1GB in the P4 DC, at least 1GB in the TS and that much or more in the Exchange Server (Store.exe is a real hog.)
ASKER
I appreciate the info. I'm in the process of ordering more memory. There are routers at both ends. One connects to our server here at corporate and the other is connected to the XP Home machine at the other office. This particular machine is considered our "print and DHCP server" at this office. The computer is always on and has all of their printers shared locally. I know this is not very efficient. How can I bypass this mess? Do I need a server at this location? We can't really afford another copy of Windows 2000 server with the intention of buying a third copy for Exchange. Our infrastructure will consist of numerous branches with only a few users at each office. Ultimately how can they refer back to our main branch here for all of their resources i.e. printers at their location? Also, why wouldn't this person be able to see our Intranet anymore. They can ping the address of the Intranet, but they can't ping the name of the Intranet.
HELP!!!
HELP!!!
>"to the XP Home machine at the other office. This particular machine is considered our "print and DHCP server" at this office. The computer is always on and has all of their printers shared locally. I know this is not very efficient. How can I bypass this mess?"
Throw some of these down there:
http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=34&scid=32
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF02a/18972-236253-64302.html
I favor the JetDirects. You can print to each printer by IP address.
>"Our infrastructure will consist of numerous branches with only a few users at each office. Ultimately how can they refer back to our main branch here for all of their resources i.e. printers at their location?"
Hehe.. (sorry, this is too fun.) You can use HP's JetAdmin to remotely configure the JetDirects. All you need to do is get someone to plug them into power, the printer and the switch at that end. You can manage the router and teh JetDirects remotely.
>"Ultimately how can they refer back to our main branch here for all of their resources i.e. printers at their location? Also, why wouldn't this person be able to see our Intranet anymore. They can ping the address of the Intranet, but they can't ping the name of the Intranet."
How is your connection set up, is it a VPN tunnel? I guess the key is how do you have DNS configured at the workstations at the other end? The Default Gateway on each PC should be the router and the firts DNS server listed should be the DNS server at your main office.
Need any clarification? MSGeek.
Throw some of these down there:
http://www.linksys.com/products/group.asp?grid=34&scid=32
http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF02a/18972-236253-64302.html
I favor the JetDirects. You can print to each printer by IP address.
>"Our infrastructure will consist of numerous branches with only a few users at each office. Ultimately how can they refer back to our main branch here for all of their resources i.e. printers at their location?"
Hehe.. (sorry, this is too fun.) You can use HP's JetAdmin to remotely configure the JetDirects. All you need to do is get someone to plug them into power, the printer and the switch at that end. You can manage the router and teh JetDirects remotely.
>"Ultimately how can they refer back to our main branch here for all of their resources i.e. printers at their location? Also, why wouldn't this person be able to see our Intranet anymore. They can ping the address of the Intranet, but they can't ping the name of the Intranet."
How is your connection set up, is it a VPN tunnel? I guess the key is how do you have DNS configured at the workstations at the other end? The Default Gateway on each PC should be the router and the firts DNS server listed should be the DNS server at your main office.
Need any clarification? MSGeek.
ASKER
Do the printers have to be HP in order to use HP's JetAdmin?
DNS is configured on these workstations at the other by having our two external DNS addresses. I have since learned they need to be the IP Address of our main DC. A lot of users have laptops, so they connect here and at home. How can DNS be set up to dynamically use our IP address of the main DC and then use whatever means necessary at home dynamically.
DNS is configured on these workstations at the other by having our two external DNS addresses. I have since learned they need to be the IP Address of our main DC. A lot of users have laptops, so they connect here and at home. How can DNS be set up to dynamically use our IP address of the main DC and then use whatever means necessary at home dynamically.
>"Do the printers have to be HP in order to use HP's JetAdmin? "
Not at all.
>"How can DNS be set up to dynamically use our IP address of the main DC and then use whatever means necessary at home dynamically"
Set your DNS as primary in DHCP and oustide DNS servers as secondaries.
Not at all.
>"How can DNS be set up to dynamically use our IP address of the main DC and then use whatever means necessary at home dynamically"
Set your DNS as primary in DHCP and oustide DNS servers as secondaries.
ASKER
Zefiro, I did everything you said but without restarting as I have people connecting remotely and need to wait until this evening. I still was getting the same error message.
Robspiere - No the existing Win2k server was never a domain controller. I'm assuiming both servers used to look for DNS from the two external IP addresses we own, but I could probably be wrong as DNS is not my strong point.
MSGeek - I ran netdiag and got these results, WINS service test failed - unable to query the wins server and the DNS test failed - the dns registration for 'memberserver.name.local' is incorrect on all DNS servers. Everything else passed with a couple of things giving me warnings.
When I run dcdiag, I get an error message saying memberserver is not a DC.
I looked in the error log and the most recent error said, the master browser has received a server announcement from the computer MAINDC that believes that is the master browser for the domain on transport NetBT_Tcpip. The master browser is stopping.
What do you guys think?
Bret