Forest Wide - Operation Master Role

jbaello

By default, the first domain controller in the forest holds all operation masters. Which is the three "Domain Wide Operation Masters" (RID, PDC emulator and Infrastructure)

My question is does the first Domain Controller also holds "Forest Wide Operation Master - Domain Naming Master and Schema Master?

Thanks in advance...

dynamik

Yes. You always need to have all five roles be accessible. Since that is the only server in the forest at that point, it will have them all.

jbaello

I just installed a fresh Windows 03, and run DCPROMO, apparently the 1st DC by default holds all of the 5 FSMO role, one thing that bothered me is that the Global Catalog is enabled by default. As far as I am aware Infrastructure Role (Domain Wide) and Global Catalog just cannot work together in the same DC hosting it, this avoids Infrastructure from replicating to multiple DC/Forest and doing its job.

I had a flash back, and I remember when we had issue with our DC, I wondered if this was the reason why, hmmm would have been nice if GC was disabled by default...

I just finished my 70-294 Testout and would gladly recommend it, both instructors are pretty good and know their stuff well, I am now starting my Lab using - Trainsignal Active Directory.

dynamik

The GC is only enabled by default on the first DC in a domain. I just verified this by promoting a VM in my test lab to the second DC in that domain, and it was not a GC. You need a GC for your domain to function, so the first DC has to be a GC. The infrastructure master maintains consistency between domains, if you only have one domain, you don't need to worry about which machine it is on. Also, if you only have a few DCs, you can just make them all GCs, and they will always have current information as a result.

Information on what the infrastructure master does can be found at the bottom of this page.

jbaello

Thank you Dynamik!