Troubleshoot or reinstall Server 2000?

[Tom Penharston]

I have a domain at Windows 2000 native funtional level. For the sake
of this discussion there are two DCs, 2000 and 2003. I transfered most
functionality to the newer 2003 DC including FSMO roles, global
catalog, important apps and services.

I left the old server running with only two jobs, replicate the active
directory and provide DNS if needed. Things ran fine for several
months.

I'm not sure why, but now the 2003 DC can't replicate with the 2000 DC.
Also, the DNS console in 2003 fails to connect to the 2000 DNS. It's
not a basic TCP/IP connectivity issue. It seems to be something more.

Is it important to trace all of the errors and fix the problems, or can
I just remove the bad DC from active directory and reinstall server
2000?

Very thorough administrators might want to know exactly what happened,
but there's another argument that you can't always know what happened,
just make it work and don't worry about it.

 

[Jorge Silva]

Hi

I have a domain at Windows 2000 native funtional level. For the sake
of this discussion there are two DCs, 2000 and 2003. I transfered most
functionality to the newer 2003 DC including FSMO roles, global
catalog, important apps and services.

Although you have only 1 Domain, and according with your description you
shouldn't have the IM on GC, unless all DCs on your site are also GCs. If
you want to have only one GC per site then you should place the IM on a DC
tha isn't a GC.

FSMO placement and optimization on Active Directory domain controllers
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;223346

I left the old server running with only two jobs, replicate the active
directory and provide DNS if needed. Things ran fine for several
months.

Are both DCs DNS server?

I'm not sure why, but now the 2003 DC can't replicate with the 2000 DC.
Also, the DNS console in 2003 fails to connect to the 2000 DNS. It's
not a basic TCP/IP connectivity issue. It seems to be something more.

Are the servers resolving eachother by fqdn?
Did you run Dcdiag - <Dcdiag /c /v /d> ?
Did you run Netdiag /debug?
Can you place here the results for ipconfig /all
Did you checked the Sysvol folder?
Troubleshooting missing SYSVOL and NETLOGON shares on Windows 2000 domain
controllers
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=257338
Do you have any Fw preventing replication between the servers?
Service overview and network port requirements for the Windows Server system

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;832017


--
I hope that the information above helps you

Good Luck
Jorge Silva
MCSA
Systems Administrator

 

[Hank Arnold]

Whatever you do, DON'T JUST REMOVE THE W2K DC FROM THE DOMAIN!! The
server is a DC and that will cause you more grief.....

I would at least try to understand the problem. You *could* just move
any FSMO roles off the W2K DC and DCPROMO it back to a member server.
But the reason for having replication problems could cause problem with
the DCPROMO process. You may have fundamental domain AD issues that need
to be resolved.

Try posting any event log errors or diagnostic messages and let's see if
the gurus here can work out what is happening....

If you choose to DCPROMO It, I would first take it off line for a while
and make sure your domain runs OK without it.

Regards,
Hank Arnold

 

[Tom Penharston]

Thanks Jorge and Hank. Your advice looks right on the money. This was
a very small issue. I must have deleted the A record for the W2K
server from DNS when I cleared ou the dead weight. It's been fixed
easily. I recreated the A record. My DNS console again connects to
the W2K DNS and replication errors stopped. I'll change my naming
convention for DCs to something that I'll never overlook again.