Cannot create a new domain controller

[swilliams]

We have an issue at the moment where we cannot promote an existing
member server on our Windows 2000 domain to a domain controller. The
history to this is as follows:

We had two domain controllers running Active Directory for a single
domain. There is only one domain in the forest. One of these machines
died (as in the disk failed and could not be recovered). Since then, I
created a new member server with a view to then promoting it to a DC.
However, I always get the following error message:

"The operation failed because:

Failed finding a suitable domain controller for domain cromwells.co.uk

The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted".

For obvious reasons we need to have a second domain controller in place
on this domain.

I've heard that this issue is because of incorrectly-configured DNS,
however we are not running DNS on any of the Windows servers on the
domain. The DNS is being run on a Linux server on the same LAN, which
is not part of the domain. This has been running the DNS without any
problems for at least two years.

Please, any ideas? Email (e-mail address removed)

 

[Danny Sanders]

I've heard that this issue is because of incorrectly-configured DNS,

however we are not running DNS on any of the Windows servers on the
domain. The DNS is being run on a Linux server on the same LAN, which
is not part of the domain. This has been running the DNS without any
problems for at least two years.

Is the new server pointed to the Linux DNS server for DNS?
Are you sure the removed DC did not have DNS installed and it was forwarding
to the Linux DNS server?
AD DNS must support SRV records. Does the Linux DNS server supports SRV
records?


hth
DDS W 2k MVP MCSE

 

[Phillip Windell]

On the new machine make sure that DNS is install but *not* configured,...you
won't need it till later. For the time being point the new machine's DNS
network settings to the existing Domain Controller,....do the same for WINS
if you use WINS.

Make the new machine a member of the domain. If it already is, then dis-join
it, make sure it's name is removed from AD and then rejoin it back again.
This is just to make sure it is "clean" and that their isn't already a
membership problem.

Now it should promote without any problem.