W2K AD blues

[Tim Wohlford]

I have a W2K app server, SP4. This computer runs BriteStor ArcServe to back
up the Novell and Linux servers, holds a replica of eDirectory, does DNS,
and lets me do offsite administration for the office via TS and VNC.

I thought it was working okay until I noticed that no one can use the
administration utilities. I get the message that the domain cannot be
found, which is quite a suprise since it is the DC and the only thing on the
domain! And, there are only 2 users on that domain, Administrator and me.

I have read KB articles, and don't seem to be able to restore this from the
ArcServe backup... maybe this thing has been bad for more than the 60 days I
have tapes for this machine.

Worse yet, I cannot find a way to use DCPromo to unload AD from this
computer, since it wants to login to the domain that it knows is there to
complete the process!

So, I'm looking at a few options....

1. Spend the $300 to call Microsoft, and hope that they can provide a fix.

2. Reinstall W2K on this machine, followed by a reinstall of ArcServe, etc.
Estimated time, 4+ hours.

3. Install W2K3 SBS, and hope that it runs Arcserve, TS, VNC, eDir, etc
without problems. I've got a 5-user copy sitting here in front of me.....
This needs to be done after hours since the DNS is tied up with this server.

4. Other ideas? Anyone have a better idea?

Thanks!


Tim Wohlford
tim at wohlford dot net

 

[Oli Restorick [MVP]]

If you look in the TCP/IP settings, is the IP for the DNS server set to the
server itself? If not, it probably should be. That is, unless the server
it's pointing to is the server containing the zone information for the
domain.

You then configure a forwarder so that the system can resolve other DNS
names.

Hope this helps

Oli

 

[Steve]

Tim,

I am not a AD person but if you install the Windows 2000 Support Tools
it includes a program called DCDiag. I don't know what info it will
give if it can't contact the DC but it may give you some suggestions
as to why it can't. The main thing to look at is your DNS settings
because AD totally depends on DNS working correctly.

As far as calling Microsoft support they might be able to help. It
just depends on who you get. They have transfered a lot of their
support to India and if you get someone there it is very hit or miss.
I just gave up a couple of times. If you can get someone in the US
they are very good because most have been doing support a log time.

Good luck

Steve