Swapping DCs

  • Thread starter Thread starter Alan Coleman
  • Start date Start date
A

Alan Coleman

I now have 3 existing domain controllers in my domain.

SJV-DC-1 (housing all 5 FSMO roles)
SJV-DC-2 (global catalog)
SJV-BRH (global catalog) (different site in AD)

All are using active directory integrated DNS now.

I'm replacing SJV-DC-1 and SJV-DC-2 and with two new servers and I want
these servers to take their predecessors names.

My plan is to do this.

1. Demote SJV-DC-2, and then remove it from the domain.
2. Name first new server SJV-DC-2
3. Promote NEW SJV-DC-2 to domain controller
4. Transfer all 5 FSMO roles to NEW SJV-DC-2
5. Demote SJV-DC-1, and then remove it from the domain
6. Name second new server SJV-DC-1
7. Promote NEW SJV-DC-1 to domain controller
8. Make NEW SJV-DC-1.global catalog

Will this plan work. It seems like it should. I haven't found any docs on
Microsoft about demoting a domain controller and then promoting another one
with the same name so I'm assuming it's possible. I just want to know if
there is something I should look out for as in, is there some other place
that the active directory might still remember the old servers with the same
names and somehow screw something up? Obviously I'm going to have to allow
for replication time between all of these steps because I still have 1
active DC in this domain plus the DCs in the other domains, but other than
that it seems like this should work.

Insight into anything I'm missing is much appreciated.
 
Hi there

Step 3a needs to be "make the new SJV-DC-2 a global catalog".

Also, you've left out the steps of applying service packs and security
patches, but I'm sure that didn't slip your mind.

Since you're running AD-integrated DNS (which is a good thing, don't get me
wrong), you will need to carefully consider what will happen when you
dcpromo out of the domain a DC that is also running DNS. The DNS server
will still respond to requests, but will have not have any zones anymore.
This will cause problems. Carefully consider where all your machines point
to for DNS when moving things around and make sure you don't leave any
workstations or servers unable to access a DNS server.

There should be no problem reusing a DC name, just as long as the removal of
the previous server has replicated around properly. So just leave enough
time and check everything between each step.

By the way, this post would have got a quicker and better response in
microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory.

Hope this helps

Oli
 
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