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  • #2082979

    Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

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    by ebott ·

    How well do you know the new domain model in Windows 2000? Help me?and your fellow TechRepublic members?with this stumper. Here?s the scenario: You add a second domain controller to your Windows 2000 domain. Later, you decide to retire the original domain controller. What steps do you have to go through to make the change? (Hint: It?s not as easy as it was with NT4, where you could simply demote the old DC and promote the secondary DC to a primary role.) If you think you?ve got the answers, click here. Because this challenge is extra tough, I?ll award a total of 2000 points for the correct response. Don?t delay, though?I?ll accept answers only until Thursday, March 9.

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    • #3900502

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by jlivingston ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      I’ll be the first to admit that I know very little about Windows 2000. From what I have learned, however, I was under the impression that if you remove active directory from the domain controller, you no longer have a domain controller but rather amember server. Try uninstalling active directory. This is superior to NT 4.0 because you don’t have to reinstall server to make a DC into a member server. As for Primary and secondary Domain Controllers, I haven’t learned enough yet…

      Jason

    • #3900436

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by robert.manning ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      My understanding was that all Domain Controllers are equal under Windows 2000 so there is no need to demote a primary and promote a secondary anymore as all DCs hold a master copy of the AD.

    • #3900419

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by dpeach ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      Set up the new DC;
      Ensure DNS is configured properly on the domain first. Execute the “dcpromo” utility. Answer all questions or accept defaults. You must know thw FQDN for the existing Domain. Set up the shared sysvol location (NTFS). Set up DNSon the server if applicable. Provide directory services restore password. When replication is complete ensure AD is running properly.

      Demote old DC;
      Run “dcpromo” and select all options to remove AD from the server. Reboot the server.

      note- excerpt from KB article K238369

      “When a domain controller is demoted, if it is not the last domain
      controller in the domain, it performs a final replication and then transfers the
      roles to another domain controller. As part of the demotion process, the Dcpromo
      utility removes the configuration data for the domain controller from Active
      Directory. This data takes the form of an NTDS Settings object, which exists as
      a child to the server object in Active Directory Sites and Services Manager.
      After the domai

    • #3900408

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by rasmusw ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      All you have to do is to run dcpromo from the domain controller you would like to demote.
      Then select Remove Active directory, enter the correct password etc., and when dcpromo has finished making its changes, the active directory has been removed from the domain controller, and it has now become a member server.
      There are no steps to take on the second domain controller, as domain controllers are equal in active directory domains.

    • #3900407

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by rasmusw ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      All you have to do is to run dcpromo from the domain controller you would like to demote.
      Then select Remove Active directory, enter the correct password etc., and when dcpromo has finished making its changes, the active directory has been removed from the domain controller, and after a reboot it willb become a member server.
      There are no steps to take on the second domain controller, as domain controllers are equal in active directory domains.

    • #3900405

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by carlos.martinez ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      Hello Ed,

      I have to say that this new domain model has been a stumper for me also. What I have gathered is the using DCPROMO.EXE you can change domain controllers to regular server and regular servers to domain controllers. So my answer is that you run DCPROMO on the domain controller to demote is and also delete the server account from the list of domain controllers on the Active Directory. If the second controller you added is just a replica domain controller the I think you need to run DCPROMO on it and add it to the domain controllers list on AD.

    • #3900384

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by dwayne.evelyn ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      In Win2K in native mode there are no primary or back donations on the domain controllers. As log as the old domain controller did not contain the Active Directory database you should be able to just retire the old domain controller. If it did contain the active directory data you would have to export or replicate the Active Directory Database to another domain controller.

    • #3900370

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by jaredsdavis ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      The best way to do this is suprisingly simple, if a little difficult.

      Take the new server and place it in close contact with the old server. Now think really really really really hard and throught willpower alone you cam migrate your domain to the new directory model.

      If this doesn’t work, then your best bet would be one of the other suggestions.

      Last option: Wait one year before you upgrade. It is still a good idea to be just a little bit behind the bleeding-aorta edge of things.

    • #3898570

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by myersj ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      I think you run dcpromo from the domain controller you would like to demote, but first you should check and reassing your Schema Operations Master, Domain Operations Master, Primary Domain Controll Emulator, Relative Identifier Operations Master, Infrastructure Operations Master, and maybe the Global Catalog Server.

    • #3898525

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by biles ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      If this domain is the first domain in the forest, the second domain controller will have to size the role of the operational masters from the first domain controller before you can retire it.

    • #3898494

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by dmiles ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      1)Make a backup copy of domain controller
      2)Synchronize entire domain thru Server Manager
      3)Using Active Directory Installation Wizard Run Check List
      Select Security
      Click Start and then click Run
      In open,type dcpromo
      Follow the instructions in the Active Directory Installation Wizard
      If domain controller is a global catalog,make sure global catalog is available to users before demoting
      If the domain controller currently owns master roles transfer master roles
      If the domain has child domains,it cannot be deleted,If the domain is the last domain controller in the domain demoting this domaincontroller will remove the domain from the forrest,If this is the last domain in the forrest,demoting will delete the forrest

    • #3741116

      Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      by ebott ·

      In reply to Ed Bott’s Microsoft Challenge–3/2/00

      This question was auto closed due to inactivity

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