Domain Controller Advice

[Marka]

We are a single site with a Windows 2000 domain. We have 2 DC's - DC1 & DC2.

DC1 was the first one to be installed and has all the five FSMO roles
running on it.

We also made DC2 into a Global Catalog Server as Exchange 2003 (which we
have running on a 2003 member server) wouldn't run if DC1 went down..

Our MAIN concern is if DC1 fails, we would need DC2 to run on its own.

We tested this situation by shutting down DC1, leaving DC2 running.

When running on DC2, a number of our client machines were very slow and not
usable, but some of our client machines seemed to be running OK ??

What would we need to do to make sure DC2 can run all clients OK if DC1 goes
down.

Thanks

Mark

 

[Miha Pihler [MVP]]

Hi Mark,

How is your DNS setup? Are both of your domain controllers also DNS servers
for your active directory domain? Do your clients have both server (DC1 and
DC2) listed as DNS servers (set under TCP/IP properties).

Clients use DNS to located domain controllers, global catalogs etc... If you
only have one DNS server or if your clients has only one DNS server set for
preferred DNS server (under TCP/IP properties) and this DNS server goes down
clients will fail to find other domain controllers.

 

[Marka]

Thanks for the reply

Both DC1 & DC2 are Active Directory-Integrated DNS servers.

All PC's on the network are DHCP clients who receive there IP address and
DNS settings from the DHCP server on DC1.

Their DNS server settings are set to "Preferred" DC1 & "Alternate" DC2

Thanks

Mark

 

[Clayton Sutton]

Hey Marka,

First off split your DHCP between the to DCs. If only DC1 is doing DHCP you
are dead in the water if it goes down. You should have enough addresses on
each DHCP server to handle all of your network needs if the other DHCP
server went down.


Clayton

Thanks for the reply

Both DC1 & DC2 are Active Directory-Integrated DNS servers.

All PC's on the network are DHCP clients who receive there IP address and
DNS settings from the DHCP server on DC1.

Their DNS server settings are set to "Preferred" DC1 & "Alternate" DC2

Thanks

Mark

 

[Doug Sherman [MVP]]

The problem is the FSMO roles. In the case of catrastrophic failure of DC1,
you could seize the roles on DC2 and your domain should survive with
relatively little re-configuration or other dislocation. However, do NOT
seize roles as part of a test - there are major consequences for DC1. See:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;255504

and

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;216498

Doug Sherman
MCSE Win2k/NT4.0, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

 

[Marka]

Our DHCP server has a 8 day lease duration. After we shut DC1 down, we
checked some of the clients with IPCONFIG.
The ip address remained the same.

Mark

Hey Marka,

First off split your DHCP between the to DCs. If only DC1 is doing DHCP
you
are dead in the water if it goes down. You should have enough addresses
on
each DHCP server to handle all of your network needs if the other DHCP
server went down.


Clayton