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PDC Crash, Need roadmap

I have Windows 2000 AD Network. My PDC hard drive fried over the weekend. I have a BDC, that is very old and slow. Things are running but when people try to access network resources it takes forever and a day. I need to know the best road map to get me "up to speed"...

1. Should I promote the BDC, install OS on the former PDC with new hard drive, , join domain, promote to backup and then promote to PDC?

or

2. Should I keep things the way they are and install the OS on the former PDC with new hard drive and promote to backup then promote to PDC?

Because there is no PDC, I am concerned that things will go to heck in a handbasket...

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cfairley

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SJConsulting

ASKER

I thought, until I read the post, that there were distinct controllers, must be thinking WinNT 4.
With that said, why can I not just install the OS, dcpromo the server and make it the PDC (emulator) ? can it be that cut and dry?

SJConsulting

ASKER

Should I consider renaming the pdc to a new machine name (...pdc1) or can I name it what it was before it crashed (...pdc) ?

jdeclue

As you PDC is no longer available, you must seize all of the roles to your other Domain Controller before you do anything. Then you can just bring up another server, install AD and split up the roles again. All of the information you require is in the following KB article. CFairley is correct in telling you to deal with the FSMO roles, if you do not then you will have issues with your domain even after you install a new domain controller.

cfairley

Sorry for the delay, I just came back from lunch. To answer your first question: yes, it's that cut and dry if the DC does not hold any of the five FSMO roles. To answer the second question, I would rename the new DC. Here are some helpful articles.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2Fservicedesks%2Fwebcasts%2Fen%2Fwc031902%2Fwct031902.asp
http://www.is-it-true.org/nt/nt2000/atips/atips56.shtml
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B255504

SJConsulting

ASKER

I am installing the OS now...I am going to run Ntdsutil.exe now and seize the FSMO and all other roles... When I am done installing the server, I am going to add it to the domain and promote it and then run ntdsutil and seize them back?

cfairley, would love to know more about the nutshell approach you spoke of earlier...I think I am on the right track...

jdeclue

Those are the right steps. Before you install Active Directory to the new server, run DCDIAG.EXE on the current Domain Controller and make sure everything is working properly, heck I would run it after I use NTDSUTIL to make sure it is looking right. If there are any issues, you want to make sure they are fixed before the new DC is installed and replication begins to occur.