-------------------------------------------------------------------- SearchWin2000's Active Directory Tip -------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR'S NOTE: Out of respect for Tuesday's tragedy, we did not send out our regularly scheduled e-mails. Our thoughts remain with all of you and your loved ones. The University of California at Berkeley has created a database where people can inquire about the safety of specific individuals and report someone they know who is safe. http://safe.millennium.berkeley.edu/ ==================================================================== SPONSORED BY: NetIQ ==================================================================== FREE ACTIVE DIRECTORY TOOL Get essential, real-time diagnostics for Microsoft Active Directory with NetIQ's ADcheck - your powerful, free diagnostic tool. With ADcheck, you can quickly check domain controllers, domains and replication. After the first test, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. Download your FREE copy now at http://www.netiq.com/sponsor/default.asp?251. ==================================================================== "Defragmenting the AD object database" By Kevin R. Sharp When you defrag, you can save disk space and improve performance. This tip suggests two ways to defrag the Active Directory object database. -------------------------------------------------------------------- All objects in an Active Directory hosted on a Win 2000 Server are stored in a database named NTDIS.DIT and managed by an underlying Extensible Storage Engine (ESE). When filling pages, the ESE sacrifices memory efficiency for speed. Two defragmentation techniques recover the sacrificed memory. Online Defragmentation: The ESE performs online defragmentation periodically as part of the garbage-collection process. The process rearranges database pages and makes space available for new Active Directory objects. To change the online defragmentation period you need to change the garbage-collection period by modifying the garbageCollPeriod attribute in the enterprise-wide DS configuration object. Do this using any Active Directory editing tool, including Adsiedit.msc, Ldp.exe, or ADSI scripts. The path for the garbageCollPeriod of Server1 in the Company.com domain would be: CN=Directory Service,CN=Windows NT,CN=Services,CN=Configuration,DC=SERVER1,DC=COMPANY,DC=COM For details on other activities involved in the garbage collection process, check out http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q198/7/93.ASP. Online defragmentation frees up space within the Active Directory object database (NTDS.DIT) to make room for new objects. However, it does not reduce the size of NTDS.DIT, and therefore cannot return unused memory to the file system. To do that you need to take the database offline. Offline Defragmentation: 1. Begin by backing up Active Directory, which can be done before taking the controller offline. (Use the backup wizard and either select the option to back up everything on the computer or select the option to back up the System State.) 2. Reboot the domain controller and press F8 to display advanced options. Choose Directory Services Restore Mode and press Enter twice. 3. Log on using the Administrator account. You'll need administrator permission to perform the defragmentation, and the security context and protection is quite different offline. If you have trouble, check out the note on the offline Security Accounts Manager (SAM) http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q223/3/01.ASP. 4. Click Start, select Programs, then Accessories, click Command Prompt, then type ntdsutil and press Enter. 5. Type files, press Enter, type info, press Enter. 6. You will now see the path and size of the Active Directory database and log files. Write down the path and note the size. 7. Type compact to drive:directory where drive:directory is where you want to compacted file and has enough space to accept it. 8. Type quit then Enter, then quit again to return to the command prompt. 9. Copy the NTDS.DIT file from drive:directory to the path you wrote down in step 6. 10. Reboot normally. For more background on defragmentation, check out these two articles: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q232/1/22.ASP http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q229/6/02.ASP You can also learn more about managing your AD with these Active Directory Best Web Links: http://searchwindowsmanageability.techtarget.com/bestWebLinks/0,289521,sid33_tax287625,00.html. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Kevin Sharp is a registered professional engineer, writer and yoga teacher living in Tucson, Arizona, and gains his expertise from a variety of professional activities. His engineering outlets include Web consulting for Supply Chain Systems Magazine, focusing on the fulfillment side of electronic commerce. ==================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DID YOU LIKE THIS TIP? ==================================================================== We rely on your feedback! Whether you loved this tip or hated it, why not let us know? Rate it at http://www.searchWin2000.com/tip/1,289483,sid1_gci762158,00.html. Have additional comments? E-mail us at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] to sound off. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ==================================================================== DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN! ==================================================================== September's tip of the month contest is in full swing! 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