Question about Global Catalog

[Ed]

Hi,

We are having 2 domain controllers (DC1 and DC2) and one of them is also a
Global Catalog (on DC2). I am wondering what is involved in switching the
global catalog from being DC2 to DC1? I read some documentation about some
settings in Active Directory Sites and Services, in which it is as easy as
checking one field. However when I tried that it caused problems in Active
Directory Sites and Services that when try to replicate it an error message
appears as below :

The DSA operation is unable to proceed because of a DNS lookup failure.

Furthermore I noticed in the event viewer of our Exchange server there is an
event ID 2103 as below:

Process MAD.EXE (PID=2128). All Global Catalog Servers in use are not
responding:
dc2.domain.com

The reason of switching is because the hardware of DC2 (the global catalog)
is going to be replaced. We'd like to move the functions on that server out
to other servers before we replace the hardware. Basically what I was
thinking is to setup a new Windows 2000 server and bring it up as a domain
controller. That way we would still have two DCs for our network and the
global catalog will be on DC1 instead.

Would any of you have suggestions on how to proceed with the switching of
global catalog from DC2 to DC1?

Thanks in a million.

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

Ed,

Making a DC also function as a GC is as simple as checking the appropriate
box in the Active Directory Sites and Services tool.
However you appear to be getting an error and also an issue with your
Exchange server use of the DC2 GC.
You should resolve the initial error first. This indicates that it is DNS
related.
Ensure your DNS configuration is functioning correctly. Once completed and
tested you should be able to make your other DC a GC also.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

 

[Ed]

That means I can have more than 1 GC in the same domain? In that case I can
have both DCs (DC1 and DC2) be a GC. Right now DC2 is the GC and if I check
the flag to make DC1 also a GC, then how much time is needed before I can
take DC2 back to being just a DC but not a GC?

Also the DNS configuration, would you mind be a bit more specific of which
area I should look into? Coz both DCs are DNS and each of them has hosts
records of the other servers in our network. I tried simple things such as
ping the other server (such as ping DC1, ping DC2 in command prompt) and the
IP addresses can be resolved and the servers are reachable.

Thx

 

[Mike Brannigan [MSFT]]

Ed - you can have as many GCs in a Domain as you like.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

That means I can have more than 1 GC in the same domain? In that case I can
have both DCs (DC1 and DC2) be a GC. Right now DC2 is the GC and if I check
the flag to make DC1 also a GC, then how much time is needed before I can
take DC2 back to being just a DC but not a GC?

Also the DNS configuration, would you mind be a bit more specific of which
area I should look into? Coz both DCs are DNS and each of them has hosts
records of the other servers in our network. I tried simple things such as
ping the other server (such as ping DC1, ping DC2 in command prompt) and the
IP addresses can be resolved and the servers are reachable.

Thx

 

[Ed]

Thanks Mike.
Please bare with me for more stupid questions.
If I made DC1 becomes a GC, which then we have two GCs (DC1 & DC2). And
later I uncheck the settings for DC2 to become a DC only. Then I will have
DC1 to be the only GC in our domain.
My question is how long does it take for other servers on the network to
recognize that DC1 is the only GC? I am worrying about moving this as I was
having errors in our Exchange 2000 servers. Is there anyway to check this to
make sure that they all recognize DC1 as the GC?

Thx again.
Ed

Ed - you can have as many GCs in a Domain as you like.

--
Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

That means I can have more than 1 GC in the same domain? In that case I can
have both DCs (DC1 and DC2) be a GC. Right now DC2 is the GC and if I check
the flag to make DC1 also a GC, then how much time is needed before I can
take DC2 back to being just a DC but not a GC?

Also the DNS configuration, would you mind be a bit more specific of which
area I should look into? Coz both DCs are DNS and each of them has hosts
records of the other servers in our network. I tried simple things such as
ping the other server (such as ping DC1, ping DC2 in command prompt) and the
IP addresses can be resolved and the servers are reachable.

Thx

Ed,

Making a DC also function as a GC is as simple as checking the appropriate
box in the Active Directory Sites and Services tool.
However you appear to be getting an error and also an issue with your
Exchange server use of the DC2 GC.
You should resolve the initial error first. This indicates that it is DNS
related.
Ensure your DNS configuration is functioning correctly. Once

completed
and