verfiy global catalog location

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete Letkeman
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Pete Letkeman

How can I verfiy where the global catalog is? I have to Windows 2000 Servers
named PHOENIX and MARS and I want to make sure that MARS has the global
catalog so that I can remove PHOENIX.

Pete

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Global Catalog is set using a check-box available on the
properties of the NTDS settings for a server in Active
Directory Sites and Services.

I would also recommend that you check where your EFS
recovery agent key resides. If it is on the DC you are
planning to demote, export it and put it on the new DC,
otherwise you will not be able to recover EFS files where
the user has lost their recovery key.

Also, ensure that you are aware of FSMO role issues. A
clean demotion with both servers on a good network should
transfer these roles for you, but it is worth being aware
of what they are and what they do.

Good luck,

Barnski.
 
I have done this "Global Catalog is set using a check-box available on the
properties of the NTDS settings for a server in Active Directory Sites and
Services. " I would like to make sure that the Global Catalog was moved
properly from PHOENIX to MARS so that PHOENIX can be retired. How can I
verfiy that the Global Catalog is on MARS now and not on PHOENIX?

Pete
 
I might jump in for a second.

Pete, as barnski suggested, simply check the box in the ADSS so that Mars is
a Global Catalog Server. You might consider rebooting MARS after doing
this. If you no longer want Phoenix to be a CG then simply uncheck that
check box in the ADSS. I would then reboot Phoenix as well.

There can be multiple Global Catalog Servers in an environment. It is often
a very good idea to have multiple GCs. But, every environment is different.
I might suggest that you consider having a second DC in your environment -
if it is appropriate - act as a GC. Just take into consideration that the
DC that holds the FSMO role of Infrastructure Master should typically not be
a GC as well ( unless there is only one domain in your environment or if all
DCs are also GCs ).

It is also a good idea to remove this from Phoenix before demoting it. Good
thinking on that.

HTH,

Cary
 
Go into AD Sites & Services and check the NTDS settings of your server.
There is a tick box for the Global Catalogue setting.
 
Pete said:
I have done this "Global Catalog is set using a check-box available
on the properties of the NTDS settings for a server in Active
Directory Sites and Services. " I would like to make sure that the
Global Catalog was moved properly from PHOENIX to MARS so that
PHOENIX can be retired. How can I verfiy that the Global Catalog is
on MARS now and not on PHOENIX?
Click to expand...
Hi Pete,

There are a number of checks you can run through to ensure that MARS is
actually a global catalog.

Check the Directory Service event log on MARS for the presence of an event
ID 1119 message. The message description will say "This Windows Domain
Controller is now a Global Catalog server". I _think_ a similar message will
be logged on PHOENIX to the effect that it is no longer a GC. Can anyone
confirm?

Run up REPLMON and select MARS, or run repadmin /showreps ( support tools)
on MARS. These should show the additional GC specific partial replicas for
other domains in your forest (assuming you have more than one domain). Check
that all partitions are replicating.

If you've run REPLMON, right click the icon for MARS and choose "Show Global
Catalog servers in Enterprise". This will confirm that MARS is a GC and that
PHOENIX is not.

Check your DNS for the presence of various _gc SRV records logged by MARS.
These are only registered on successful GC promotion. Similarly, the _gc SRV
records for PHOENIX should no longer exist in DNS.

After running these checks you can be certain that MARS is a Global Catalog
:)

hth

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Simon is right on, that will verify if the server is set to become a GC.
THere is a promotion process that is kicked after that box is checked.

If you want to confirm that the GC promotion has completed, fire up LDP (or
some other ldap viewer) and just connect to the DC you want to check. One of
the attributes will be isGlobalCatalogReady, and when the box is finished
becoming a GC that will be set to true. You'd want to ensure that is true.
Then I'd further try and connect to port 3268 on the GC with LDP/ADSIEdit
and ensure we are listening on that port. Once we're a GC the box should
listen there.

~Eric
 
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