Copyng SAM from PDC to BDC

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pirillo
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Pirillo

Hi
Is it possibile in windows 2000 to copy the SAM database from a PDC to a
BDC ?
Otherwise is there a method to force the rebuild of the SAM database of the
BDC reading information from the PDC ?

Thanks to all
 
Under Windows 2000 you do not haev a PDC or a BDC. For most situations
DC's are peers. Let me ask why you would want to copy the user database
from one machien to the other? Are you having replication trouble between
each machine?

Sean
 
Is it possibile in windows 2000 to copy the SAM database from a PDC to a
BDC ?
Otherwise is there a method to force the rebuild of the SAM database of the
BDC reading information from the PDC ?
Click to expand...

There is a SAM on the PDC Emulator in Win2000 and when you install a
new BDC (NT4) you would naturally get a copy of this SAM onto the new
BDC.

Normal case is to only copy changes from PDC (emulator) to BDC.

In NT4 there were methods (setting registry entries) for forcing a full copy
of the SAM to the BDC -- investigate those.
 
In
Pirillo said:
Hi
Is it possibile in windows 2000 to copy the SAM database from a PDC
to a BDC ?
Otherwise is there a method to force the rebuild of the SAM database
of the BDC reading information from the PDC ?

Thanks to all
Click to expand...

The terminology being used is confusing since as Herb and Sean stated, there
is no such thing as a "PDC" or "BDC" in Win2k or W2k3. There are FSMO roles
that certain machines hold the token for to "emulate" this functionality,
but I do not believe you are referring to a FSMO Role error.

Now are you trying to copy the AD database (user accounts) from one DC to
another DC?

Or are you trying to copy them from a stand alone server to a DC?

Keep in mind, when you promote a server to a DC, the first DC that is
promoted, among other things, DCPROMO will take the local SAM user accounts
and create AD accounts for them. It keeps the accounts intact in the local
SAM but are only viewable when you go into DSRM. Any subsequent replica DCs
you promote to be a DC in this domain gets their local SAMs wiped out. Only
the first one keeps them.

Also, when you promote any subsequent DCs in the domain, the AD database
(not the local SAM database), gets replicated to the new DCs.

Another thing to remember, is that unlike NT4, the AD database is a soley
separate physical entity that has nothing to do with the local SAM database
on the machine. NT4's methodology, whether a PDC or BDC, uses the local SAM
to store the domain accounts. AD does not. AD's database is physically
located in the winnt\ntds folder and is called ntds.dit. The AD database
uses the ESE with transaction logging, same as Exchange server's database
engine. NT4 did not.

--
Regards,
Ace

Please direct all replies to the newsgroup so all can benefit.
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties.

Ace Fekay, MCSE 2000, MCSE+I, MCSA, MCT, MVP
Microsoft Windows MVP - Active Directory
 
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