AD and Exchange

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ray Lewis
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Ray Lewis

Ok...let me try and explain my situation. I have an AD 2003 (DC) server and
an Exchange 2003 server. They work fine together.

I have a windows 2000 server that I have run DCPROMO on and I have installed
DNS as well.

I want my Exchange box to communicate with the Win 2000 server should my AD
Server go down, but I can't seem to do it correctly. I know that I have
missed something, so if anyone knows of any white pages or other documents
that can assist me, please let me know. Thanks.
 
In
Ray Lewis said:
Ok...let me try and explain my situation. I have an AD 2003 (DC)
server and an Exchange 2003 server. They work fine together.

I have a windows 2000 server that I have run DCPROMO on and I have
installed DNS as well.

I want my Exchange box to communicate with the Win 2000 server should
my AD Server go down, but I can't seem to do it correctly. I know
that I have missed something, so if anyone knows of any white pages
or other documents that can assist me, please let me know. Thanks.
Click to expand...

This is a huge topic. Basically, I wouldn't have installed a Win2000 DC into
the domain after the fact of creating a Win2003 domain.

AD uses DNS. DNS stores SRV (service location) records. AD,AD members and
directory integrated applications, (like Exchange), 'find" the domain and
certain services by querying DNS. One of the services that run on a DC is
the Global Catalog. Exchange uses AD, specifically it relies heavily on the
GC. Exchange wil automatically find the GCs in the forest by querying DNS,
and will use them. It will find the GC in it's own Site, if you have Sites
configured. If the 2000 is a GC, you could force Exchange to use that GC if
the other were to go down by going into the ESM, server properties, you can
pick that GC under the directory service tab.

--
Regards,
Ace

If this post is viewed at a non-Microsoft community website, and you were to
respond to it through that community's website, I may not see your reply.
Therefore, please direct all replies ONLY to the Microsoft public newsgroup
this thread originated in so all can benefit.

This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
Infinite Diversities in Infinite Combinations.
=================================
 
Thanks. I noticed that my Win 2000 AD server was not a GC and I figured
that to be the problem. When I tried to disconnect the Primary AD server,
Exchange still complained that it couldn't find it. Are you saying that I
would have to manually select the backup GC should the primary GC fail?
That sort of defeats the purpose of what I'm trying to do.
 
In
Ray Lewis said:
Thanks. I noticed that my Win 2000 AD server was not a GC and I
figured that to be the problem. When I tried to disconnect the
Primary AD server, Exchange still complained that it couldn't find
it. Are you saying that I would have to manually select the backup
GC should the primary GC fail? That sort of defeats the purpose of
what I'm trying to do.
Click to expand...

Not necessarily. You can add multiple GCs under the ESM. If Exchange is
configured to use them, it will. If you changed or added a GC, you have to
give it some time for the change to take effect. How long did you wait? Did
you force registration of the new GC by restaring the netlogon service? Did
you check DNS if the change took effect under the _msdcs.gc folder? Patience
here. This can take a little time, maybe upto an hour before it sees it
automatically.

Ace
 
What you can do is connect to each of the servers using LDP and look in the
text on the right for a line stat reads Global Catalog Ready = TRUE. If you
see this, then the server is acting as a GC. Also, after you check the GC
box on the NTDS settings, and before you reboot, you need to wait until you
see the event logged in the DS event log that shows that the server is now a
GC. I forgot the exact ID, but i think it is a 19xx I think...

You can always uncheck the box, reboot then check it again and wait for the
event to be logged before you reboot...

HTH
Ozone
 
In
Ozone said:
What you can do is connect to each of the servers using LDP and look
in the text on the right for a line stat reads Global Catalog Ready =
TRUE. If you see this, then the server is acting as a GC. Also,
after you check the GC box on the NTDS settings, and before you
reboot, you need to wait until you see the event logged in the DS
event log that shows that the server is now a GC. I forgot the exact
ID, but i think it is a 19xx I think...

You can always uncheck the box, reboot then check it again and wait
for the event to be logged before you reboot...

HTH
Ozone
Click to expand...

That is one of the proper ways to check if it is now advertising as a GC.

But about the reboot, that is not really necessary. It will work right after
that. Restarting netlogon should get the GC record in DNS. Matter of fact I
just did that last Sat for a client. I added a new Win2003 DC to their 2000
domain, moved the FSMOs over, made it the GC, unchecked their 2000 box from
a GC and within 15 minute, Exchange automatically saw it in the ESM, all
without restarting.

:-)

Ace
 
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