Global Catalog Server

[RLG]

I have a mixed mode domain with a DC that has all five FSMO roles. The DC
also contains the Global Catalog. This DC has recently failed and is
offline. I am planning to seize the FSMO roles on another DC but am
wondering how the Global Catalog being unreachable will affect the domain?
Will the Global Catalog by rebuilt on the DC that is seizing the FSMO roles?
I've tried enabling the Global Catalog on the good DC but it is unable to
reach the current GC server due to it being offline so the process of making
it a GC fails. Any advice on this is welcome.

Thanks for your time,
Rod

 

[David Brandt [MSFT]]

When you seize the fsmo roles to the other dc, you should be able to make a
gc on any of them. The gc doesn't require another gc to make it one, as it
will query its own schema to determine what attributes are set for it to
include and then build its database. You should see an event 1119 (maybe
1117 as from memory) in the ds log that the machine is now gc ready which
normally takes 5 to 10 minutes.

The gc in a mixed mode domain is not nearly important as in native mode
which can prevent logon if one is not reachable, but not having a gc will
probably prevent creation of new objects since their "originality and
uniqueness" can't be authenticated.

--
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.

 

[RLG]

Thanks David. Any advice on seizing the FSMO roles? Looks to be pretty
simple using ntdsutil.exe.

Rod


"David Brandt [MSFT]"

 

[David Brandt [MSFT]]

You probably already have it, but just use the following;
255504 Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer FSMO Roles to a Domain
Controller
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504

When you said that the dc failed, and was offline, I assume that it crashed
and is not coming back. However it is still in AD on the other dc (it
doesn't know what happened and just thinks its not available at present) so
it would also need to be removed via ntdsutil as well doing a metadata
cleanup. Use the following to do it, and just follow the yellow bick road
on it as well. On steps #8 and #10 when it says no sites/servers found
respectively, just ignore and proceed to next step, as its just saying you
haven't gotten that far yet but is a bit confusing for some folks.
Also run adsideit as it indicates to help speed the cleanup process.

216498 HOW TO: Remove Data in Active Directory After an Unsuccessful Domain
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216498

--
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.

Thanks David. Any advice on seizing the FSMO roles? Looks to be pretty
simple using ntdsutil.exe.

Rod


"David Brandt [MSFT]"

When you seize the fsmo roles to the other dc, you should be able to

make

a
gc on any of them. The gc doesn't require another gc to make it one, as it
will query its own schema to determine what attributes are set for it to
include and then build its database. You should see an event 1119 (maybe
1117 as from memory) in the ds log that the machine is now gc ready which
normally takes 5 to 10 minutes.

The gc in a mixed mode domain is not nearly important as in native mode
which can prevent logon if one is not reachable, but not having a gc will
probably prevent creation of new objects since their "originality and
uniqueness" can't be authenticated.