Can't you just seize the FSMO roles?
If the old PDC isn't there... ntdsutil and just seize them?
When you can only have one PDC/FSMO holder in SBSland... and we're
migratiing across... we just rip the little suckers across and seize
them. Now mind you ... keeping the same domain is way better from a
'keep the profiles on the desktop'.... but actually .local for our space
is just fine and would be the preferred naming. The MS approved
migration method for a single DC is using ADMT and indeed renaming that
domain in the process (which we really in reality don't like because it
rips out the profiles along the way)
..now.. if this is an SBS box you cannot.. let me repeat that... cannot
rename that sucker without flattening it and starting over (Exchange,
Sharepoint and the Kitchen sink service is way too embedded to not do
otherwise)... but in big server land.. don't you guy just dcpromo the
thing down, rename and dcpromo back up?
Arnold Arce wrote:
Ok, here’s my scenario. In the process of rebuilding a domain because
of misconfiguration by a previous vendor, we decided that we’d just
replace the server completely with a newer server. The old server’s AD
domain was company.com, and running Windows 2000 Server. However, it’s
not a registered domain, and this company doesn’t have an internet
presence. So I went ahead and built a new server using Windows 2003
Server. I did this at our office before delivering the server and
completing the migration. So in building the server, I named the AD
domain company.local. Seemed logical enough, right? So, come delivery
day, I install the server and connect it into the existing network. I
start copying data from one server to the other. I started joining
workstations to the new domain, etc. All seemed well until I tried
setting a group policy. I’m sure some of you are already shaking your
heads knowing what happens next.
Apparenly, company.com and company.local can be two different domain,
but in mixed mode AD, their NetBIOS domain names are just company. So
nonetheless, I now have a new server yielding it’s PDC function to the
old server that doesn’t even recognize being the PDC of the new
domain. I tried to change AD to Native mode, but it won’t let me
because it can’t contact the PDC.
My general question is: Can this be fixed w/o rebuilding the server?
I’m assuming that it won’t let me remove AD w/o a PDC, but I haven’t
tried that. Can I rename the new domain at least and separate them
that way? If I have to rename it company-1.local, I can live with that.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
I’ve learned my lesson. Never install a new server into an existing
environment on only two hours sleep.
--
Letting your vendors set your risk analysis these days?
http://www.threatcode.com
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