moving FSMO to another server

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mason
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M

Mason

Hi,

My FSMO right now has a degraded drive in its RAID
configuration. I need to move it to another 2K server.

What would be the easiest way possible to move the
information?

Can I just create a new 2K server and run DCpromo on it?

Thanks

Mason
 
-----Original Message-----
Hi,

My FSMO right now has a degraded drive in its RAID
configuration. I need to move it to another 2K server.

What would be the easiest way possible to move the
information?

Can I just create a new 2K server and run DCpromo on it?

Thanks

Mason
.
Click to expand...
Mason,

I would either take an existing WIN2000 Member Server or
create a new WIN2000 Server and then run DCPROMO on it.
Since I am not familiar with your environment you would
need to be the judge of the best path. If you decide to
DCPROMO an existing WIN2000 Member Server try to avoid
doing this on your Exchange Server ( assuming that you run
Exchange 2000 ). If you have no other choice it would be
okay to DCPROMO it, but I generally prefer to have
Exchange 2000 on a Member Server and not on a DC.

Once you have done this make sure to install and configure
DNS. Once you have this configured and tested ( do not
forget to modify DHCP to reflect a second DNS Server so
that the clients will have two DNS Servers in their TCP/IP
Properties at this point ) make sure to make this "new" DC
a Global Catalog Server. You should reboot the "new" DC
at this point. This is necessary for any MAPI clients
that you might have ( those running MS Outlook 2000 or
Outlook 2002 ). A Global Catalog Server is very important
for Exchange / Outlook - as well if you have Universale
Groups ( only available in Native Mode ) or make use of
UPN logons.

You can transfer the five FSMO Roles at this point.
Please notice that I intentionally stated TRANSFER. There
are two choices: transfer and seize. Again, transfer is
your choice here.

This can be handled either via the MS MMCs ( Active
Directory Users and Computers MMC for the three Domain-
wide FSMO Roles of PDC Emulator, RID Master and
Infrastructure Master; Active Directory Domains and Trusts
MMC for the Forest-wide FSMO Role of Domain Naming Master;
Active Directory Schema MMC for the Forest-wide FSMO Role
of Schema Master ) or via the utility NTDSUtil. Please
look at the following two Articles:

For some basic information on the FSMO Roles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-
US;197132

For placement and optimization:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-
US;223346

Using the GUI to transfer the FSMO Roles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;255690&Product=win2000

Using NTDSUtil to transfer the FSMO Roles:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;255504&Product=win2000

How to create or move a GC:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;313994&Product=win2000

Since I am here, I would like to take this opportunity to
suggest to you that you do indeed set up Sites ( there is
one created by default ), create all of the Subnets and
associate the Subnet(s) with the appropriate Site(s) in
the Active Directory Sites and Services MMC. I would also
invite you to create a Reverse Lookup Zone in your DNS MMC
and to install the Support Tools on all of your WIN2000
Servers. The Support Tools can be located in two places:
the WIN2000 Server CD in the Support | Tools folder or on
the WIN2000 Service Pack CD in the Support | Tools
folder. Give the choice, I would opt for the WIN2000
Serivce Pack CD.

HTH,

Cary
 
Hi Cary,

YOU ROCK!! I can't believe I got this much input! I cannot
thank you enough. I really appreciate the time and effort
you put though on this reply. I know I should have RTFM,
but I'm pretty new to 2K and it's a beast :)

Thanks again, I owe you a pint!

Mason
 
-----Original Message-----
Hi Cary,

YOU ROCK!! I can't believe I got this much input! I cannot
thank you enough. I really appreciate the time and effort
you put though on this reply. I know I should have RTFM,
but I'm pretty new to 2K and it's a beast :)

Thanks again, I owe you a pint!

Mason


.
Click to expand...
Mason,

You are welcome! Glad to be of service. When I first
started learning WIN2000 ( it was not all that long
ago! ) I, too, was overwhelmed with all that is WIN2000.
For learning purposes I would suggest that you take any
old computer ( two or three would be better ), install
WIN2000 Server ( naturally the 120-day evaluation
software! ) and play with it.

Focus on Organizational Units, Groups, the five FSMO
Roles, WIN2000 DDNS and Group Policy. Take it slow.
Tell yourself, this week I am going to focus on FSMO and
then create situations in your test environement where
you have to transfer some of the roles from one DC to the
other. Work on using both methods. Then, the next week
focus on Group Policy ( or whatever ). It is going to be
frustrating at times! I used to also spend time in these
NGs and just read the questions and look at the answers.
That was about 18 months ago!

Once you are a bit more comfortable with those then
tackle Active Directory Replication. There are two
kinds: Intrasite and Intersite.

One you are a bit more confortable with that then go back
and revisit what you previously had focussed on
learning. More and more things will fall into place!
You will also reach that very frustrating point where you
know just enough to realize that you do not know
anything! That will pass if you continue to plug away at
it.

Have fun with this stuff! That is all important.

Cary
 
Hi Cary,

Once again, thank you very much. I am going to take your
advice on setting up a seperate network for learning
purposes. I should be focusing on that right now so I can
better myself with my current environment.

Thanks again and take care

Mason
 
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