Predefine logonserver?

[PabloFiasko]

Hello,
can anybody give me a hint on how to manually set the logonserver for
a 2K / XP client to a specific dc? The reason is I have a ad domain
with many sites, some connected via adsl lines. There is a DC in every
sites. But sometimes a client in site A does not use it's DC in site A
but in site B. In these cases logon is very slow (>5 min). If I then
shutdown the WAN link logon is quick as it should be.
DNS is AD integrated.
Thx for any hint.
Steffen

 

[Simon Geary]

Do you have the different sites and subnets correctly defined in AD Sites &
Services? Errors here can cause such problems. You should also check for DNS
configuration errors.
DNS is used in the DC locator process where a site-wide list and a
domain-wide list of DCs is held. By default, a client will try to connect to
a DC from the site-wide list (assuming sites are correctly set up in AD
Sites & Services) and if it cannot find a DC in its own site it will use one
from the domain-wide list (ie from the other sites). One possible way to
stop this behaviour would be to manually delete the DC SRV records from DNS
from the domain-wide DC list.
For example, on site A's DNS server, delete every record from the
domain-wide list and then clients in site A that use that local DNS server
will only know of the DCs in site A and so cannot use a DC in site B. Of
course, if you have a problem with the DC in site A then no-one in that site
could log on.
See this also http://support.microsoft.com/?id=247811

 

[Cary Shultz [A.D. MVP]]

Pablo,

Simon pretty much summed things up.

You need to create the Sites in the ADSS MMC and then create the correct
Subnets and associate those Subnets with the correct Sites. Make sure that
the IP Addresses and Subnet Masks are correct and that DHCP is absolutely
correct.

When your clients try to locate a DC they are supposed to first look for one
in the same Site in which they are located and then look for any DC.
Sometimes that 'any DC' will be located in another Site.

What Simon was talking about is called 'Generic Records'.

--
Cary W. Shultz
Roanoke, VA 24014
Microsoft Active Directory MVP

http://www.activedirectory-win2000.com
http://www.grouppolicy-win2000.com