Replication problems...

[Guest]

Hello all. I have a very complicated issue that I would love to receive a little assistance on. First off, I would like to give a little background of my network. We currently have about 24 Servers (all windows 2000) @17 are remote servers in offices across the state. All offices have connections to the internet & we have a VPN setup across the internet to all of our offices to our main office. In the main office is our Main domain controllers & exchange servers. The offices are all domain controllers to handle domain connections & security. This network has been in place for over a year & was put in place from scratch. Well, here is my problemâ€
I am the network admin, & designed the network & had other techs & a trainer helping me add computers to the domain. Well, I didn’t notice until too late when we were adding computers to one of our last offices that somehow we lost all connection to the domain. I finally found out that my trainer added a computer to the domain that had the same computer name as the domain controller in that office. Well, because it was a windows xp machine, it “thought†it was a domain controller. This started a lot of minor problems, but I was able to fix to a certain extent. I will list the problems I currently have below
• Forced directory replication does not initiate from any domain server & can only be accomplished by starting it from the controller in question
• If you try to do a forced replication from any other server, you get an error message “The following error occurred during the attempt to contact the domain controller : Logon Failure : unknown username or password.â€
• Event ID : 1645, Source : NTDS Replication is logged in the directory service event log file every few minutes & it references the server in question is having problems replicating
• Any updates to the domain take a long time to show up on the server that is having problems
• I have tried steps in these articles…KB281485, KB308111, KB288167, & Q281485. I did receive the files from a support rep & followed steps & still no go!
• This issue may be related, but there is no files or logs in the local event viewer! I open it up & there is nothing in any of the 5 event logs. (not sure how long this has been a problem, but I just noticed this a couple weeks ago

I have found a lot of help articles on TechNet, eventid.net, & Microsoft KB, & have tried multiple fixes. None seem to have fixed the issues. I want to get this resolved, & think the only way I am going to be able to get this fixed is to demote the server & to re-add it as a domain server, but I do not want to loose the settings that are there now. If I demote this server & re ass it, is each folder’s security settings going to be erased? Is there anything else I can try before doing this drastic step? Are there any pointers to get the directory security back the way it was if I do loose it? Any help would be great. Thanks

 

[Richard McCall [MSFT]]

Two separate problem the event viewer is the least. Apply the hotfix from
829246 Event Logs Are Corrupted
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=829246

Next when a workstation overwrites a DC account it resets all the attributes
that are used for replication. Generally this can be fix but it can be
tedious and there is no guarantee that it will work. Otherwise what you can
do is force the dc to demote. Metadata cleanup and remove the server from
AD. Rejoin the server to AD. Promote back up. However you have to wait for
the metadata cleanup to replicate to all server before rejoining otherwise
you are going to have the same problem. Local permissions should remain the
same

332199 Using the DCPROMO /FORCEREMOVAL Command to Force the Demotion of
Active
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=332199

216498 HOW TO: Remove Data in Active Directory After an Unsuccessful Domain
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216498
--
Richard McCall [MSFT]

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

Hello all. I have a very complicated issue that I would love to receive a

little assistance on. First off, I would like to give a little background of
my network. We currently have about 24 Servers (all windows 2000) @17 are
remote servers in offices across the state. All offices have connections to
the internet & we have a VPN setup across the internet to all of our offices
to our main office. In the main office is our Main domain controllers &
exchange servers. The offices are all domain controllers to handle domain
connections & security. This network has been in place for over a year & was
put in place from scratch. Well, here is my problem.

I am the network admin, & designed the network & had other techs & a

trainer helping me add computers to the domain. Well, I didn't notice until
too late when we were adding computers to one of our last offices that
somehow we lost all connection to the domain. I finally found out that my
trainer added a computer to the domain that had the same computer name as
the domain controller in that office. Well, because it was a windows xp
machine, it "thought" it was a domain controller. This started a lot of
minor problems, but I was able to fix to a certain extent. I will list the
problems I currently have below.

. Forced directory replication does not initiate from any domain server &

can only be accomplished by starting it from the controller in question.

. If you try to do a forced replication from any other server, you get an

error message "The following error occurred during the attempt to contact
the domain controller : Logon Failure : unknown username or password."

. Event ID : 1645, Source : NTDS Replication is logged in the directory

service event log file every few minutes & it references the server in
question is having problems replicating.

. Any updates to the domain take a long time to show up on the server that is having problems.
. I have tried steps in these articles.KB281485, KB308111, KB288167, &

Q281485. I did receive the files from a support rep & followed steps & still
no go!

. This issue may be related, but there is no files or logs in the local

event viewer! I open it up & there is nothing in any of the 5 event logs.
(not sure how long this has been a problem, but I just noticed this a couple
weeks ago.

I have found a lot of help articles on TechNet, eventid.net, & Microsoft

KB, & have tried multiple fixes. None seem to have fixed the issues. I want
to get this resolved, & think the only way I am going to be able to get this
fixed is to demote the server & to re-add it as a domain server, but I do
not want to loose the settings that are there now. If I demote this server &
re ass it, is each folder's security settings going to be erased? Is there
anything else I can try before doing this drastic step? Are there any
pointers to get the directory security back the way it was if I do loose it?
Any help would be great. Thanks.