Primary Domain Controller

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ross
  • Start date Start date
R

Ross

Any advice on changeing my Primary Domain Controller. I
have 4 branch office Domain Controllers plus one at HQ.
The HQ machine is now just too small, Slow and will be
replaced by a brand new machine. I wish to retain the
same name and Ip address for the PDC once I have switched
over.

Any advise will be most welcome as I am stuck with being
unable to rename a domain controller, unless there is a
back door?


Thanks
 
Hi Ross-

You will need to transfer your FSMO (operations master) roles that this DC
is serving to another DC 1st. Then you can run DCPROMO to demote it to a
member server and then decommission that server. Delete the server name from
AD and the move forward with your new DC build and use the name again.
 
I am also doing pretty much the same thing. I'm wondering
if I should be concerned with the many things tied to the
name of the machine. There are group policies,
fileshares, printshares and the original machine is also a
windows update server. My workstations are all Win2k, so
I'm wondering how much of their access depends on the SID
which would change. There is also an Exchange Server
which is machine 3 below and a DC.

The steps I propose are to
transfer the FSMO to machine 3, already a DC
demote machine 1
rename machine 1
transfer all files to machine 2
turn off machnine 1
rename machine 2 to machine 1's original name
recreate all file and print shares
promote machine 2 to DC
transfer fsmo to machine 2
 
I'll ask the question..... What is an FSMO and how do I transfer it? The
reason I ask is that we are planning to set up a second DC (we are running
W2K AS) and then DCPROMO the current one to a member server. Before you ask,
yes, we are also planning to set up a backup DC, but the priority right now
is to get our Exchange 5.5 box off of the DC. Since this is a server class
machine, we chose to move the DC..... We also are implementing a failover
strategy for the Exchange box and having it as a DC makes this a *VERY*
complicated issue.... Based on what I've read, I think my steps will be:

1) Set up second DC
2) Wait
3) Verify failover if I turn off original DC
4) Transfer FSMO (is this necessary?)
5) DCPROMO the original server to a member server
6) create backup DC

Does this make sense?
 
Hey, what about my needs? I have feelings, too.
-----Original Message-----
Hi Ross-

You will need to transfer your FSMO (operations master) roles that this DC
is serving to another DC 1st. Then you can run DCPROMO to demote it to a
member server and then decommission that server. Delete the server name from
AD and the move forward with your new DC build and use the name again.

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE





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