How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you have a
secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.

I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
immediately promote the BDC.

How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and recover
the Active Directory?

It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It is changed by either
demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual transfer of the role. In
cases where the role holder is no longer available and will not be coming
back online you can force another server to seize the roles.

255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles to a Domain
Controller
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the Graphical User Interface
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690

--
Richard McCall [MSFT]

"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights."
"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you have a
> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>
> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> immediately promote the BDC.
>
> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and recover
> the Active Directory?

"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you have a
> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>
> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> immediately promote the BDC.
>
> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and recover
> the Active Directory?

There is no concept of PDC and BDC in Active Directory. All DCs in a Domain
are read-write peers
The only case where this is not true is in the Operations Master roles which
do exist on only one machine.
See the online help about the FSMO's.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you have a
> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>
> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> immediately promote the BDC.
>
> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and recover
> the Active Directory?

Hi-

You need to seize any FSMO roles formerly on your now dead DC to your
working DC. Review the following articles:

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;255504
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;223787
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;283595

You will also need to cleanup your database and site topology then rebuild
your failed DC and add it back to the domain (unless you decommission it
permanently.)

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.



"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you have a
> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>
> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> immediately promote the BDC.
>
> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and recover
> the Active Directory?

Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server acting as
a second DC but with none of the server roles assigned. My
question is what is the best way to recover the Active
Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install the OS
on my original DC that was running the different roles and
recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am using
Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but without
Disaster recovery.

>-----Original Message-----
>It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It is
changed by either
>demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
transfer of the role. In
>cases where the role holder is no longer available and
will not be coming
>back online you can force another server to seize the
roles.
>
>255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles
to a Domain
>Controller
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
>255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
Graphical User Interface
>http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
>
>--
>Richard McCall [MSFT]
>
>"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no
> rights."
>"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
>news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you
have a
>> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>>
>> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
>> immediately promote the BDC.
>>
>> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
recover
>> the Active Directory?
>
>
>.
>

If you have two DC's, just running dcpromo on the one with the fsmo roles
will both demote it to server and also automatically transfer the roles to
the other dc during the demotion process. This works very well, and as long
as dns is working properly is not a problem, but you can of course also
manually transfer them to the other dc prior to the first dc being demoted,
removed from the domain, and then re-installed.
When the server is brought back into the domain again and you install exch
again, the database info can be restored from your tape, but for more
specific steps on exactly how to do this, you might want to post a question
on that in the Exchange newsgroup, as those folks will be monitoring that
more there.

--
David Brandt
Microsoft Corporation

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Please do not send e-mail directly to this alias. This alias is for
newsgroup purposes only.
"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:036f01c3d955$3e3564c0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
> Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server acting as
> a second DC but with none of the server roles assigned. My
> question is what is the best way to recover the Active
> Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install the OS
> on my original DC that was running the different roles and
> recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am using
> Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but without
> Disaster recovery.
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It is
> changed by either
> >demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
> transfer of the role. In
> >cases where the role holder is no longer available and
> will not be coming
> >back online you can force another server to seize the
> roles.
> >
> >255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles
> to a Domain
> >Controller
> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
> >255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
> Graphical User Interface
> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
> >
> >--
> >Richard McCall [MSFT]
> >
> >"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> confers no
> > rights."
> >"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message
> >news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you
> have a
> >> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
> >>
> >> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> >> immediately promote the BDC.
> >>
> >> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
> recover
> >> the Active Directory?
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Again the issue I'm trying to get a solution to is if the
DC that is also responsible for the FSMO roles, and has
Exchange install crashs how do I recover it. If I am going
to re-install the OS on that server from scratch how do I
recover the Active directory and the Roles??
>-----Original Message-----
>If you have two DC's, just running dcpromo on the one
with the fsmo roles
>will both demote it to server and also automatically
transfer the roles to
>the other dc during the demotion process. This works
very well, and as long
>as dns is working properly is not a problem, but you can
of course also
>manually transfer them to the other dc prior to the first
dc being demoted,
>removed from the domain, and then re-installed.
>When the server is brought back into the domain again and
you install exch
>again, the database info can be restored from your tape,
but for more
>specific steps on exactly how to do this, you might want
to post a question
>on that in the Exchange newsgroup, as those folks will be
monitoring that
>more there.
>
>--
>David Brandt
>Microsoft Corporation
>
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no rights.
>Please do not send e-mail directly to this alias. This
alias is for
>newsgroup purposes only.
>"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
>news:036f01c3d955$3e3564c0$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
>> Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server acting
as
>> a second DC but with none of the server roles assigned.
My
>> question is what is the best way to recover the Active
>> Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install the
OS
>> on my original DC that was running the different roles
and
>> recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am using
>> Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but without
>> Disaster recovery.
>>
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It is
>> changed by either
>> >demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
>> transfer of the role. In
>> >cases where the role holder is no longer available and
>> will not be coming
>> >back online you can force another server to seize the
>> roles.
>> >
>> >255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO
Roles
>> to a Domain
>> >Controller
>> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
>> >255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
>> Graphical User Interface
>> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
>> >
>> >--
>> >Richard McCall [MSFT]
>> >
>> >"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
and
>> confers no
>> > rights."
>> >"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> message
>> >news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you
>> have a
>> >> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>> >>
>> >> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
>> >> immediately promote the BDC.
>> >>
>> >> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
>> recover
>> >> the Active Directory?
>> >
>> >
>> >.
>> >
>
>
>.
>

Hi JR-

When you reinstall the OS you would add the machine to the domain as a
member server. After rebooting you then would run DCPROMO. That will get AD
and the database copied to the rebuilt DC. If you want to move your FSMO
roles back to this rebuilt box, you would do a Transfer of FSMO roles using
the GUIs (AD Users & Computers, AD Sites & Services, or AD Schema).

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.



"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:03cf01c3da0b$ed2c8880$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Again the issue I'm trying to get a solution to is if the
> DC that is also responsible for the FSMO roles, and has
> Exchange install crashs how do I recover it. If I am going
> to re-install the OS on that server from scratch how do I
> recover the Active directory and the Roles??
> >-----Original Message-----
> >If you have two DC's, just running dcpromo on the one
> with the fsmo roles
> >will both demote it to server and also automatically
> transfer the roles to
> >the other dc during the demotion process. This works
> very well, and as long
> >as dns is working properly is not a problem, but you can
> of course also
> >manually transfer them to the other dc prior to the first
> dc being demoted,
> >removed from the domain, and then re-installed.
> >When the server is brought back into the domain again and
> you install exch
> >again, the database info can be restored from your tape,
> but for more
> >specific steps on exactly how to do this, you might want
> to post a question
> >on that in the Exchange newsgroup, as those folks will be
> monitoring that
> >more there.
> >
> >--
> >David Brandt
> >Microsoft Corporation
> >
> >This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> confers no rights.
> >Please do not send e-mail directly to this alias. This
> alias is for
> >newsgroup purposes only.
> >"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message
> >news:036f01c3d955$3e3564c0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
> >> Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server acting
> as
> >> a second DC but with none of the server roles assigned.
> My
> >> question is what is the best way to recover the Active
> >> Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install the
> OS
> >> on my original DC that was running the different roles
> and
> >> recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am using
> >> Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but without
> >> Disaster recovery.
> >>
> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It is
> >> changed by either
> >> >demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
> >> transfer of the role. In
> >> >cases where the role holder is no longer available and
> >> will not be coming
> >> >back online you can force another server to seize the
> >> roles.
> >> >
> >> >255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO
> Roles
> >> to a Domain
> >> >Controller
> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
> >> >255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
> >> Graphical User Interface
> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >Richard McCall [MSFT]
> >> >
> >> >"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
> and
> >> confers no
> >> > rights."
> >> >"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> >> message
> >> >news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> >> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If you
> >> have a
> >> >> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
> >> >>
> >> >> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> >> >> immediately promote the BDC.
> >> >>
> >> >> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
> >> recover
> >> >> the Active Directory?
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >.
> >> >
> >
> >
> >.
> >

Does the second DC have to be running DNS while the other
DC is still functioning to be able to do the role transfer
properly or does the process of transferring the roles
also create the proper DNS information??

>-----Original Message-----
>Hi JR-
>
>When you reinstall the OS you would add the machine to
the domain as a
>member server. After rebooting you then would run
DCPROMO. That will get AD
>and the database copied to the rebuilt DC. If you want to
move your FSMO
>roles back to this rebuilt box, you would do a Transfer
of FSMO roles using
>the GUIs (AD Users & Computers, AD Sites & Services, or
AD Schema).
>
>--
>Thanks,
>Richard Moreno
>MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000
>
>This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
confers no
> rights.
>
>
>
>"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
>news:03cf01c3da0b$ed2c8880$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Again the issue I'm trying to get a solution to is if
the
>> DC that is also responsible for the FSMO roles, and has
>> Exchange install crashs how do I recover it. If I am
going
>> to re-install the OS on that server from scratch how do
I
>> recover the Active directory and the Roles??
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >If you have two DC's, just running dcpromo on the one
>> with the fsmo roles
>> >will both demote it to server and also automatically
>> transfer the roles to
>> >the other dc during the demotion process. This works
>> very well, and as long
>> >as dns is working properly is not a problem, but you
can
>> of course also
>> >manually transfer them to the other dc prior to the
first
>> dc being demoted,
>> >removed from the domain, and then re-installed.
>> >When the server is brought back into the domain again
and
>> you install exch
>> >again, the database info can be restored from your
tape,
>> but for more
>> >specific steps on exactly how to do this, you might
want
>> to post a question
>> >on that in the Exchange newsgroup, as those folks will
be
>> monitoring that
>> >more there.
>> >
>> >--
>> >David Brandt
>> >Microsoft Corporation
>> >
>> >This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
and
>> confers no rights.
>> >Please do not send e-mail directly to this alias. This
>> alias is for
>> >newsgroup purposes only.
>> >"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> message
>> >news:036f01c3d955$3e3564c0$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
>> >> Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server
acting
>> as
>> >> a second DC but with none of the server roles
assigned.
>> My
>> >> question is what is the best way to recover the
Active
>> >> Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install
the
>> OS
>> >> on my original DC that was running the different
roles
>> and
>> >> recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am
using
>> >> Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but
without
>> >> Disaster recovery.
>> >>
>> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It
is
>> >> changed by either
>> >> >demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
>> >> transfer of the role. In
>> >> >cases where the role holder is no longer available
and
>> >> will not be coming
>> >> >back online you can force another server to seize
the
>> >> roles.
>> >> >
>> >> >255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO
>> Roles
>> >> to a Domain
>> >> >Controller
>> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
>> >> >255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
>> >> Graphical User Interface
>> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
>> >> >
>> >> >--
>> >> >Richard McCall [MSFT]
>> >> >
>> >> >"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no
warranties,
>> and
>> >> confers no
>> >> > rights."
>> >> >"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
>> >> message
>> >> >news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >> >> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If
you
>> >> have a
>> >> >> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
>> >> >> immediately promote the BDC.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
>> >> recover
>> >> >> the Active Directory?
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >.
>> >> >
>> >
>> >
>> >.
>> >
>
>
>.
>

Hi-

Yes, a fully functional DNS server\infrastructure must be operational for a
smooth transfer of roles. Be it on the 2nd server or the rebuilt server it
doesn't matter which as long as it is up and working.

--
Thanks,
Richard Moreno
MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.



"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:053901c3daa9$1a4c6bd0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Does the second DC have to be running DNS while the other
> DC is still functioning to be able to do the role transfer
> properly or does the process of transferring the roles
> also create the proper DNS information??
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hi JR-
> >
> >When you reinstall the OS you would add the machine to
> the domain as a
> >member server. After rebooting you then would run
> DCPROMO. That will get AD
> >and the database copied to the rebuilt DC. If you want to
> move your FSMO
> >roles back to this rebuilt box, you would do a Transfer
> of FSMO roles using
> >the GUIs (AD Users & Computers, AD Sites & Services, or
> AD Schema).
> >
> >--
> >Thanks,
> >Richard Moreno
> >MCSE NT4\2000, MCSA 2000
> >
> >This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> confers no
> > rights.
> >
> >
> >
> >"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message
> >news:03cf01c3da0b$ed2c8880$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Again the issue I'm trying to get a solution to is if
> the
> >> DC that is also responsible for the FSMO roles, and has
> >> Exchange install crashs how do I recover it. If I am
> going
> >> to re-install the OS on that server from scratch how do
> I
> >> recover the Active directory and the Roles??
> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >If you have two DC's, just running dcpromo on the one
> >> with the fsmo roles
> >> >will both demote it to server and also automatically
> >> transfer the roles to
> >> >the other dc during the demotion process. This works
> >> very well, and as long
> >> >as dns is working properly is not a problem, but you
> can
> >> of course also
> >> >manually transfer them to the other dc prior to the
> first
> >> dc being demoted,
> >> >removed from the domain, and then re-installed.
> >> >When the server is brought back into the domain again
> and
> >> you install exch
> >> >again, the database info can be restored from your
> tape,
> >> but for more
> >> >specific steps on exactly how to do this, you might
> want
> >> to post a question
> >> >on that in the Exchange newsgroup, as those folks will
> be
> >> monitoring that
> >> >more there.
> >> >
> >> >--
> >> >David Brandt
> >> >Microsoft Corporation
> >> >
> >> >This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties,
> and
> >> confers no rights.
> >> >Please do not send e-mail directly to this alias. This
> >> alias is for
> >> >newsgroup purposes only.
> >> >"JR" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> >> message
> >> >news:036f01c3d955$3e3564c0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> >> Basically I have a DC with the Active directory and
> >> >> Exchange 2000 on it. I also have another server
> acting
> >> as
> >> >> a second DC but with none of the server roles
> assigned.
> >> My
> >> >> question is what is the best way to recover the
> Active
> >> >> Directory and Exchange if I am going to re-install
> the
> >> OS
> >> >> on my original DC that was running the different
> roles
> >> and
> >> >> recover the Exchange data from tape backup? I am
> using
> >> >> Veritas Backup Exec with the Exchange Agent but
> without
> >> >> Disaster recovery.
> >> >>
> >> >> >-----Original Message-----
> >> >> >It failover of the fsmo roles is not automatic. It
> is
> >> >> changed by either
> >> >> >demotion of the DC holding the role or the manual
> >> >> transfer of the role. In
> >> >> >cases where the role holder is no longer available
> and
> >> >> will not be coming
> >> >> >back online you can force another server to seize
> the
> >> >> roles.
> >> >> >
> >> >> >255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO
> >> Roles
> >> >> to a Domain
> >> >> >Controller
> >> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504
> >> >> >255690 HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in the
> >> >> Graphical User Interface
> >> >> >http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255690
> >> >> >
> >> >> >--
> >> >> >Richard McCall [MSFT]
> >> >> >
> >> >> >"This posting is provided "AS IS" with no
> warranties,
> >> and
> >> >> confers no
> >> >> > rights."
> >> >> >"J R" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> >> >> message
> >> >> >news:057101c3d947$39edb150$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> >> >> How do you recover if your Primary DC fails? If
> you
> >> >> have a
> >> >> >> secondary DC how do you make it the Primary DC.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> I know in Windows NT 4.0 if the PDC fails you can
> >> >> >> immediately promote the BDC.
> >> >> >>
> >> >> >> How do you do the equavalent with Windows 2000 and
> >> >> recover
> >> >> >> the Active Directory?
> >> >> >
> >> >> >
> >> >> >.
> >> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >.
> >> >
> >
> >
> >.
> >