Creating a backup domain controller
I am looking for document that explains the best way of adding a backup domain controller to our existing network. I presently have a Windows 2003 VM server that is running AD, DNS, and DHCP. I want to create another server that will take over if the primary goes down. So far I have created a new Windows 2003 VM server and just added it to the domain. My reason for doing this is so that if my main domain controller goes down I have another one to fall back to. Is this a good idea to do?
Last Comment
No such thing as a backup - all DCs in an Active Directory environment perform authentication and are fully writeable. HOWEVER, there are 5 FSMO roles typically held by the first DC (and which can only be on ONE DC at a time) - any or all of which COULD be down and not immediately impact your environment.
Basically, assuming you are using the same version of Windows Server, make sure the new server is on the domain and run DCPROMO and make it a domain controller in an existing domain. That should do it. (It should also run DNS for you and be listed as a DNS server in your workstations network settings).
BEFORE doing this though, I would create a backup of the existing VM JUST IN CASE something goes wrong.
Basically, assuming you are using the same version of Windows Server, make sure the new server is on the domain and run DCPROMO and make it a domain controller in an existing domain. That should do it. (It should also run DNS for you and be listed as a DNS server in your workstations network settings).
BEFORE doing this though, I would create a backup of the existing VM JUST IN CASE something goes wrong.
ASKER
Ok thank you, I will give this a try tonight. Would I run dcpromo on the new server or the existing domain controller?
The new server - you run it on the old server, you could demote it and remove Active Directory.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
THIS SOLUTION IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS.
View this solution by signing up for a free trial.
Members can start a 7-Day free trial and enjoy unlimited access to the platform.
ASKER
I am in the process of going trough the Active Directory Installation Wizard and It’s recommending that I store the Database on a separate hard disk but I only have a C: drive on this server do you see that being a problem.
Thanks
Thanks
ASKER
I have just added the DNS snap in to my second domain controller then restart the server when the server came back up it automatically replicated the DNS from my first domain controller. Is that all I needed to do to add a secondary DNS server?
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 was based on Windows XP and was released in four editions: Web, Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter. It also had derivative versions for clusters, storage and Microsoft’s Small Business Server. Important upgrades included integrating Internet Information Services (IIS), improvements to Active Directory (AD) and Group Policy (GP), and the migration to Automated System Recovery (ASR).
129K
Questions
--
Followers
--
Top Experts
Get a personalized solution from industry experts
TRUSTED BY
So since you want just another 2003 box then no schema updates necessary.
It is already a member server you can run dcpromo. Select "additional domain controller for an existing domain. When that is done and your computer reboots you can install DNS on the box and also make it a global catalog server.
Let replication happen and now you have a backup AD/DNS/GC
check event logs, verify replication using repadmin, check the health using dcdiag.
Point clients (static and DHCP) to this box for secondary DNS.
Also add its own IP as a second DNS address in the NIC properties of the new DC
Thanks
Mike