Help removing PDC from domain and promoting a BDC - Server 2003

[Gman]

Hello everybody.

Was hoping that someone would be able to help me with some
suggestions or a guide to removing a PDC and promoting the BDC to be
the new PDC. Both servers are Windows 2003 enterprise.

The reason for this is that originally we had a storage space issue
on our PDC and so someone dumped a new server in as a BDC to help with
the problem and now we would like to remove the PDC since we'd like to
use it elsewhere in our organization.

TIA

Grant

 

[Herb Martin]

Hello everybody.

Was hoping that someone would be able to help me with some
suggestions or a guide to removing a PDC
and promoting the BDC to be
the new PDC. Both servers are Windows 2003 enterprise.

Then they are NOT "PDC" NOR "BDC" but both are DCs.

No promotion is required if you have the other ALREADY A DC.

What you must guard is to make sure you have the Master roles when
you finish -- which should transfer automatically but I prefer to do it
manually to make sure.

Also before starting, make the second DC a GC so you will have at
least one GC afterwards (with a small Forest, or single Domain all
DCs should be GCs.)

Then use DCPromo on the departing DC while both are online.

The reason for this is that originally we had a storage space issue
on our PDC and so someone dumped a new server in as a BDC to help with
the problem and now we would like to remove the PDC since we'd like to
use it elsewhere in our organization.

You really should have two DCs minimum IF YOU CARE about the
domain, fault tolerance, easy recovery etc.

 

[Jorge_de_Almeida_Pinto]

Hello everybody.

Was hoping that someone would be able to help me with some
suggestions or a guide to removing a PDC and promoting the BDC
to be
the new PDC. Both servers are Windows 2003 enterprise.

The reason for this is that originally we had a storage
space issue
on our PDC and so someone dumped a new server in as a BDC to
help with
the problem and now we would like to remove the PDC since we'd
like to
use it elsewhere in our organization.

TIA

Grant

Although Windows 2000 and 2003 have a PDC FSMO there are no BDCs in
AD. All DCs are equal and some have additional roles like GC,
bridgehead and FSMO.

Assuming the "BDC" already has been promoted to a DC using DCPROMO and
DNS is also in place on that DC or somewhere else.

transfer the FSMO roles from the PDC to the BDC
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=324801&product=winsvr2003)

Demote the PDC to a server and remove the computer account from the
domain. Delete also the NTDS Settings object from the sites and
services

that should do it

By the way: always have at least two DCs for each domain!

 

[nitin]

Hello everybody.

Was hoping that someone would be able to help me with some
suggestions or a guide to removing a PDC and promoting the BDC
to be
the new PDC. Both servers are Windows 2003 enterprise.

The reason for this is that originally we had a storage
space issue
on our PDC and so someone dumped a new server in as a BDC to
help with
the problem and now we would like to remove the PDC since we'd
like to
use it elsewhere in our organization.

TIA

Grant

Hi

i would suggest you that after transferring PDC role to another DC and
demoting the first make sure that you have all the FSMO roles

or you can make sure that you have those roles before you demote the
DC
here’s the article that you can follow to make sure that you have
all those FSMO roles in the domain

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=255504

else you will face many problems after that
a) you won’t be able to promote a GC
b) you won’t be able to promote any other DC in the domain
c) Client machines will stop getting authenticated from the domain