Back a BDC a PDC...how?

[1665]

Hi, our current PDC is very old and we have just bought a new server to replace it. How can we do this? Would it be best to make the new server a BDC? If so how can I then make it a PDC and demote the current old PDC to a BDC?

Kind Regards

Andy

 

[ChrisRAnthony]

see the post from Slicardie which points to a similar problem. The answers will help you to do what you are trying to do.

 

[Psingh]

Hi,

Install the new server as BDC. Then Switch of ur current older PDC.

Go to server manager in BDC and promote it to PDC. After succesfull promotion bring up the older PDC.

Go to the server manager in older PDC and demote it to BDC.

Hope this can do the work. I had done in the same way.

PSingh

 

[rcpis]

When promoting the BDC to the new PDC, is it required to turn off the old PDC? I've read elsewhere that once the BDC is promoted to the new PDC that the old PDC automatically is demoted to BDC if it's on while this is taking place. Is this not true? I'm in the same boat as 1665. Our hardware that houses our current PDC is old. We got a newer, better server, I installed NT 4.0 sp6 and made it a BDC. That was last week. I didn't want to promote it until I knew that everyone was "talking" and cooperating. I've been checking the log files and don't see any problems. I'm still hesitant to promote though. I was also told that once you promote a BDC and demote the PDC that the old PDC can't be promoted back again if something goes awary? Is that true?

 

[ShackDaddy]

If you promote SERVER1 installed as a BDC to be a PDC, then the old PDC (SERVER2) is automatically demoted to BDC status. If you don't like SERVER1 being the PDC, just promote SERVER2 (from BDC to PDC) again. It's not that complicated. It's simpler than it would be in a Windows 2000 domain, when there are subtle differences between the roles that difference DC's take.

Once a system is a BDC, if you want to eliminate it, you can just take it off the network and reformat it. You should also use ServerManager to make sure that that server is no longer listed in the list of servers, otherwise you may occasionally see errors about syncing.

No worries, I've done this dozens of times.

ShackDaddy