Domain controller question

Essendon

I setup a small ( 1 server and 1 xp client ) lab for my test prep. Being fairly new to the server world, I (acccidently) setup the client to be the 2nd DC. For my knowledge, could this be a potential problem when my lab grows to another server and a couple more clients.

Also, if I needed to move the present xp machine to just being a computer and not a DC, is there significant rearranging that will need to be done? I am feeling a bit silly

royal

XP can't be a DC. What makes you think you promoted it to being a DC?

Essendon

That's what I was thinking myself, royal. But when I go into AD users and computers and click on Domain Controllers, there are two computers, server01 and new-02 (the xp client). Perhaps I am misinterpreting what I am seeing ?

ajs1976

Sounds like you moved the XP client into the domain controllers OU. Try moving it back to the Computers OU.

Essendon

aj, seems I inadvertently moved the XP client to the DC OU, didnt do it deliberately though. So, this means that the xp client is not a DC even if it is in the DC OU? Also, by moving you mean that I just drag it across ?! I dont think you can drag it, btw I am at work, can only do it when I get home...

ajs1976

I'm not sure if you can drag it. I usually right-click and select move.

If it is in the DC OU that does not make is a DC, it just means the DC Group Policy is getting applied to it.

royal

ajs1976 wrote:

I'm not sure if you can drag it. I usually right-click and select move.

You can't on a Windows 2000 DC but you can on a Windows 2003 DC.

KGhaleon

Just a suggestion, but you should watch the first couple of videos at itidiots.com to get a better understand of your domain controllers.

Essendon

Thank you guys, I was able to move the XP client to the computers OU and there were no problems.

But yesterday, all of a sudden the client lost the internet. I was just browsing the web and suddenly it wouldnt work any more. Nothing in the error logs on the server but on the client I saw the following errors:

SOURCE :NETLOGON

No Domain Controller is available for domain CONTOSO due to the following:
There are currently no logon servers available to service the logon request. .
Make sure that the computer is connected to the network and try again. If the problem persists, please contact your domain administrator.

SOURCE : DNSAPI

The system failed to register host (A) resource records (RRs) for network adapter
with settings:

Adapter Name : {AA4780C7-24AD-4B47-AE3A-3153B02A518C}
Host Name : new-02
Primary Domain Suffix : contoso.com
DNS server list :
192.168.0.101
Sent update to server : <?>
IP Address(es) :
192.168.0.100

The reason the system could not register these RRs was because either (a) the DNS server does not support the DNS dynamic update protocol, or (b) the authoritative zone for the specified DNS domain name does not accept dynamic updates.

To register the DNS host (A) resource records using the specific DNS domain name and IP addresses for this adapter, contact your DNS server or network systems administrator.

Funny that it is the network systems administrator mucking around with the computers and doesnt know how to fix stuff !!

Anyways, on an intuition, on the client, I changed LAN settings to obtain DNS server addresses automatically, and the internet was back ON. On a hunch, as ROYAL, DYNAMIK and KENNY pointed in another thread that the DNS server address must be the server's IP address, I put 192.168.0.101 back in the LAN settings. Surprisingly, the internet was still working. Wonder what this was or the computer was just playing tricks on a server greenhorn .....