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Adding an additional Server to a SBS Active Directory domain - Linux Samba Share?

I have a Windows Small Business Server 2003 as well as two Linux Fedora Core Servers which are members of the Active Directory domain. The Linux Servers are used solely for the purpose of providing a samba share for our Windows users.

The problem I have is that when I need to reboot the Small Business Server for whatever reason or it crashed etc etc, user access to the Linux samba shares will be unavailable because obviously the Linux Servers rely on the Windows Server Active Directory for authentication.

Can anyone suggest a way to get round this issue? Would it be possible to purchase a Windows 2003 Server standard that would join the domain and act as a backup to the current Active Directory?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated, thanks!

Hypercat (Deb)

Yes, you can do just as you proposed - purchase an additional server, install standard Win2K3 Server, join the SBS domain and run dcpromo on the new server. Since you answered your own question, do I still get the points? ;-)

Deb

Exchange_Admin

But remember that the SBS server MUST hold all the FSMO roles.

Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy

It's important that your Linux servers are joined to the network properly. See http:Q_21511787.html

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Carl Billington

ASKER

sorry what does dcpromo actually do?

yeah i have no problem configuring the Linux servers to join the domain...as long as when/if one of the Windows Servers goes down for whatever reason the other Windows Server on the network automatically kicks in for authentication for both the Windows XP client and Linux?

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Hypercat (Deb)

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Jeffrey Kane - TechSoEasy

If the Linux servers are joined to the domain properly then authentication is cached. I must tell you though, that if your SBS is "going down" regularly, then you have to resolve whatever it is that causes that. I have almost 100 SBS's in service that I've deployed and NONE of them have more than an hour or two of down time a year.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Carl Billington

ASKER

hypercat: sorry I have taken so long to reply. Once ive ran "dcpromo" would the new server automatically become a BCD to the SBS Server?

TechSoEasy: The server isn't necessarily down all the time. It's just a hassle when i require a reboot of the server as the Linux Servers are a member of the domain and therefore rely on the SBS for authentication to the shares etc. So no one can continue their work.

Hypercat (Deb)

DCPromo makes the server a domain controller - in a Win2K or Win2K3 AD domain, there is no such thing as a "primary" or "backup" domain controller. All of the necessary AD information is replicated to every DC. You may also want to make the new DC a global catalog server, though, to ensure that your other server can continue to connect to the domain if the SBS server goes down. The global catalog role is not an FSMO role and can be held by more than one DC in a domain.

Carl Billington

ASKER

Thanks for your reply. How do i go about making it a global catalog server too?

Hypercat (Deb)

That setting is in the AD Sites and Services MMC. Expand the objects (folders) in the left pane until to see the NTDS Settings object for the new server. Right-click NTDS Settings and click Properties. The global catalog checkbox is on the General tab.

Carl Billington

ASKER

Excellent. You've been great assistance. I'm not getting the new server for at least a couple of weeks now but I can't see things going wrong.

Thanks again