Windows Forum

Ask something
Discussion Locked

How to setup a Backup Domain Controller

0 helpful
8 replies

by pnyamhute

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I have a server that I want to set up as a BDC. The PDC is called "Server" and has two hard disks. The first disk has two partitions C(2gig)& D(10gig), the second one has E(10gig) & free space of 10gig. The BDC has two hard disks also but have not yet been partitioned Whats the best way of setting up this server.

8 replies

by timthetoolman

Hi,

Are you happy with the setup for your PDC?

If you are, then I'd say set the BDC up in the same way. Personally, I'd have allowed a little more space for the system partition, though. I expect the initial decision may have been based on technology du jour...

If you're planning to run other things on the BDC, then you'll need to take that into account for your partitioning.

Having 10Gb free space (totally unused) is great! That gives you scope to add it later when you find you're running out. Sort of an insurance policy.

We had a bunch of file servers where we intentionally created huge temp files and when they were dangerously close to running out of space we deleted the temp files to give us breathing room to do a cleanup.

Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Tim.

by @lberto

Hello there,

It is very simple, the only way you can setup a BDC is the same way yo setup a PDC, right at the installation. Just start your Windows NT installation, the first option it will give you is Primary Domain Controler, Backup Domain Controler or Standalone Server, select Backup Domain Controler and it will go from there. It is important you know that your new computer has to be plugged into the network and your PDC must be up and running.
So, just grab your Windows NT cd and starta new installation as BDC, and that's it.

Good luck,
@lberto
alberto@pancarib.com

by shanghai sam

It ultimately depends on what you will be running on the server. A 2 gig root partition is a little small but will work. Another option for a little fault tolerance ist to make two partitions on the first disk for c: and d: then mirror them on thesecond disk. I know this cuts your available disk space in half but it can save you in a pinch.

by curlergirl

You don't tell us how large the hard disks on your BDC are, so it's a little hard to say. . . 2GB is the minimum for the boot partition, so if you have room, use 4GB instead. Also, ALWAYS use NTFS, not FAT, on your servers, for all partitions. Therest is up to you - if you use NTFS you can make very large partitions without losing so much drive space to the inefficiencies of sector size that you find in FAT. If a single one of the two hard drives in the BDC is large enough to serve your need for storage in the immediate and near future (i.e., for the next year or so), then by all means do a mirror. This is done by partitioning and loading software and files on one drive and then using Disk Administrator to create mirrors on the seconddrive for each partition you've created on the first drive. This greatly increases the fault tolerance of your system and is well worth it in that it trades a few dollars in up-front costs for saving a lot of dollars in the cost of rebuilding your system if the main hard drive fails. Hope this helps!

This discussion is closed to new replies.