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Can you rename a DC in 2003 Server?

By neighborpc.net ·
In windows server 2003 can a Domain Controller be renamed?

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by CG IT In reply to Can you rename a DC in 20 ...

yes you can. netdom utility.....but, there are inherent problems in doing it. Here is a KB on one of the problems of a renamed DC if a new DC is added that happens to be named the old DC that was renamed.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316826

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by neighborpc.net In reply to

Poster rated this answer.

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by BFilmFan In reply to Can you rename a DC in 20 ...

It depends.

If it is Small Business Server Edition, the answer is no. You must re-install everything.

If this is a single forest, single domain, single domain controller with Exchange installed on it, the answer is no. You must reinstall AD and Exchange.

If this is a domain controller in all other situations, you can change the name as CG stated and you may well have issues with by FRS and DNS.

Although, it is not stated well in Microsoft documentation, the best method for renaming a domain controller is to:

DCPROMO it out of the environment.

Reboot the system to allow it to announce to AD that it is no longer a DC.

Allow AD replication to occur to all former replication partners of the domain controller.

Rename the domain controller and reboot the system AFTER placing it into the domain.

DCPromo the system into AD as a domain contoller.

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by p.j.hutchison In reply to Can you rename a DC in 20 ...

I would agree with BFilmFan with the correct renamin strategy.

Any particular reason why you wish to rename the server?

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by CG IT In reply to Can you rename a DC in 20 ...

yep Bfilm has the best practice solution for renaming a DC. It's not wise to do it in any situation if it can be avoided but renaming domains and DCs was one of the big peeves that admins had with W2K Active Directory.

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by CG IT In reply to

because of the upgrade path with NT to W2K. There wasn't a lot of flexibility. So with W2003 MS put in a feature to rename DCs and Domains. With all the big companies buying and merging with other big companies, getting the infrastructure to work was made much simplier with being able to rename a DC and more importantly rename a domian.

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by neighborpc.net In reply to Can you rename a DC in 20 ...

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