Multi-site AD problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Stu
  • Start date Start date
S

Stu

Hi,

My company has a single AD domain and 2 main sites (site1 and site2),
connected by a VPN. Each site has 2 DCs, and everything apparently
works fine. Recently, we added a third site (site3). I took one of the
DCs from site2 and installed it in site3. Again, everything seems to be
fine, BUT there are some strange things happening: From site1, I can
see (with windows explorer, to be specific) the network at site1 and
site3, but I can't see anything on site2. From site2, I can't see
anything except site2. From site3, I can see site1 and site3.

Despite this, I can ping and connect to shares at the "invisible"
sites, so connectivity is obviously there. I assume this must be a
problem with the remaining DC at site2, but I can't see how it's
different from the others.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Stu
 
Stu,

To go over the very basics: you set up the three Sites in Active Directory
Sites and Services and you created a Subnet ( for each subnet that you might
have ) and then associated it with the correct Site. All of your machines
have an IP Address that corresponds to the correct Subnet ( and, naturally,
the correct Site ).

Have you installed the Support Tools ( located on the WIN2000 Service Pack
CD-Media or the Microsoft website ) and run dcdiag /c /v and netdiag /v.
You would probably want to send the output to a file ( instead of the
monitor so that you could more easily search for 'error', 'warn' or
'fail' ). I would also make sure that everything is correct with DNS. This
is paramount.

Now, is it possible that there is some 'WAN' problem? I ask because I have
worked in environments with multiple physical locations all connected to the
'Main Site' via a Firewall-to-Firewall VPN. There is a really weird problem
with one of the Sites ( although all of them are set up the same way...I was
not part of that, though ). Even multiple ISP's did not resolve the issue.



--
Cary W. Shultz
Roanoke, VA 24012
Microsoft Active Directory MVP

http://www.activedirectory-win2000.com
http://www.grouppolicy-win2000.com
 
Hi Cary,

Thanks for your reply. I've run dcdiag and netdiag and there are no
errors. All 4 DCs are replicating fine. Netbios over TCPIP is enabled.

I think it must be a DNS issue, but I've never had a problem with DNS
before, so I don't know the best way to debug it. Any suggestions?

Stu
 
Hi Stu,

No idea about your previous postings. But if you think it is DNS issue, then
pls post any relevant event log about DNS.

br,
Denis
 
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