How to transfer domain controller roles

Hi,

I have a client who has two windows 2003 domain controllers - DC1 & DC2.

I was told that DC1 has all the forest info and DC2 may not have all the
info. DC1 is also the DHCP server. Both are DNS servers.

DC1 one has a strange issue - Its MMC is acting up. Sometimes it opens up
and sometimes it won't. Microsoft connected to the machine and after two days
they gave up. We are thinking about re-installing the OS on DC1.

What would be the proper way to achieve this objective....that is to have
two domain controllers again in the end with all the AD info intact and not
have to change anything on the client's side. If needed, we are willing to
use a 3rd server on a temporary basis as well. Or, can we do this by swapping
roles etc.

Please provide the steps.
--
Network Admin

Meinolf
Wed Mar 26 14:04:55 PDT 2008

Hello mmadha1,

View and transfer FSMO roles:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801

Also make the second server Global catalog:
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313994

Before demote the old one run dcdiag, netdiag and replmon to check for errors

Export and import DHCP:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325473


Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

> Hi,
>
> I have a client who has two windows 2003 domain controllers - DC1 &
> DC2.
>
> I was told that DC1 has all the forest info and DC2 may not have all
> the info. DC1 is also the DHCP server. Both are DNS servers.
>
> DC1 one has a strange issue - Its MMC is acting up. Sometimes it opens
> up and sometimes it won't. Microsoft connected to the machine and
> after two days they gave up. We are thinking about re-installing the
> OS on DC1.
>
> What would be the proper way to achieve this objective....that is to
> have two domain controllers again in the end with all the AD info
> intact and not have to change anything on the client's side. If
> needed, we are willing to use a 3rd server on a temporary basis as
> well. Or, can we do this by swapping roles etc.
>
> Please provide the steps.
>

Danny
Wed Mar 26 14:28:56 PDT 2008

> they gave up. We are thinking about re-installing the OS on DC1.

I would first re-install SP2. If SP 2 is not on the server install it and
see what happens.

hth
DDS
"mmadha1" <mmadha1@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B8579FDD-EFDA-4A54-9701-E663001F788C@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I have a client who has two windows 2003 domain controllers - DC1 & DC2.
>
> I was told that DC1 has all the forest info and DC2 may not have all the
> info. DC1 is also the DHCP server. Both are DNS servers.
>
> DC1 one has a strange issue - Its MMC is acting up. Sometimes it opens up
> and sometimes it won't. Microsoft connected to the machine and after two
> days
> they gave up. We are thinking about re-installing the OS on DC1.
>
> What would be the proper way to achieve this objective....that is to have
> two domain controllers again in the end with all the AD info intact and
> not
> have to change anything on the client's side. If needed, we are willing to
> use a 3rd server on a temporary basis as well. Or, can we do this by
> swapping
> roles etc.
>
> Please provide the steps.
> --
> Network Admin

mmadha1
Fri Mar 28 09:04:00 PDT 2008

Thanks for the quick reply, Meinolf.

What I understood from your response was that the steps should be in this
order:


1) Transfer FSMO roles from DC1 to DC2
2) Make DC2 the Global Catalog
3) Export DHCP to DC2
4) Do I need to run dcdiag etc on DC1 & then demote it, since I will shut
it down and re-install OS anyway???
5) Re-install OS on DC1 machine
6) run dcpromo to make it a DC
7) Replicate DNS on it

I was also told by the client that whenever they shutdown DC1, the Outlook
clients lose connectivity to their Exchange servers (they have four), even
though they have DC2.
What could be the reason for that?

My concern is that once I take DC1 offline after performing steps 1-4 above,
users will not have access to the exchange server. I'd like to have no
disruption in the email.


Regards,

Mo Madha
--
Network Admin


"Meinolf Weber" wrote:

> Hello mmadha1,
>
> View and transfer FSMO roles:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801
>
> Also make the second server Global catalog:
> http://support.microsoft.com/?id=313994
>
> Before demote the old one run dcdiag, netdiag and replmon to check for errors
>
> Export and import DHCP:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325473
>
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have a client who has two windows 2003 domain controllers - DC1 &
> > DC2.
> >
> > I was told that DC1 has all the forest info and DC2 may not have all
> > the info. DC1 is also the DHCP server. Both are DNS servers.
> >
> > DC1 one has a strange issue - Its MMC is acting up. Sometimes it opens
> > up and sometimes it won't. Microsoft connected to the machine and
> > after two days they gave up. We are thinking about re-installing the
> > OS on DC1.
> >
> > What would be the proper way to achieve this objective....that is to
> > have two domain controllers again in the end with all the AD info
> > intact and not have to change anything on the client's side. If
> > needed, we are willing to use a 3rd server on a temporary basis as
> > well. Or, can we do this by swapping roles etc.
> >
> > Please provide the steps.
> >
>
>
>