Cant join another "subnet domain" 1

[DgtlLgk]

Hello all.Iam facing the following weird problem.
Lets say i have 2 locations a and b.They r connected through 2mb leased line.At a location is my domain controller at an ip range 192.168.1.0/24.It also hosts the DNS,DHCP,EXCH2007.At location b there is another server at an ip 192.168.2.0/24 (i must say that the subnetting is the typical/fast configuration,just add the ips!!!!).Both r 2008srv.At b location there are clients joined to the domain.The server also used to belong to the domain.We disjoined it from the domain because of a dhcp mess.Now location b server hosts DHCP(for its range) and a DNS zone.When i try to join server b to the domain i get error that DC could not be found.When i do an nslookup from location b server on locations a clients i get a resolve.At both sites i also have external DNS servers in my settings.From location a site i cant resolve computer names on b location.At locations' a DNS records i can see locations b computers that they were dynamically updated.If i add an a record for the b location server still i cant join the domain.I rename b location server,drop the network team and recreate it without any result.I ipconfig /flushdns/registerdns....nothing.Scavange stale records,update data on both DNS....nothing.
Before i could just join the remote domain with out any problem.Now iam afraid that if i disjoin any other location b pc from the domain i will have the same.
Any ideas?

 

[kmcferrin]

That's a very confusing post.

Generally speaking, in order to join a PC or server to a domain there must be a DNS server available from that domain. The PC or server will contact the DNS server and query for a DC in that domain that it can use to join the domain. For this reason you MUST have the IP address of a DNS server for the domain listed as a DNS server for the computer that you are trying to join.

For example, let's say your domain is called DOMAIN1.COM and that you have two DCs, DC1 and DC2, and two DNS servers, DNS1 and DNS2. In order to join SERVER1 to the DOMAIN1.COM domain, you must have either DNS1 or DNS2 listed as one of the DNS servers on SERVER1. If you do not then SERVER1 will not know how to contact a DC and join the domain.

Also, because your DHCP server at site B is not a member of the domain, it is unable process dynamic DNS registrations from site B clients that are domain members. Therefore the DNS servers at site A (that are domain members) will not have DNS records for any PCs at site B.

Once you get things sorted out where there are domain-joined DNS and DHCP servers at each site you shouldn't have any problems joining/un-joining systems from the domain. The alternative to this would be to use the DNS and DHCP servers at site A for both sites, but that is not a recommended configuration. You just have to understand how AD, DNS, and DHCP work together. I highly recommend picking up a book on it.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Hyper-V
MCTS:System Center Virtual Machine Manager
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator

 

[DgtlLgk]

kmcferrin thanx for the reply
Now,why the network is messed up dont ask me.Thats the way i found it.I told them that we should have a different/child domain at that location.They know little and thats how they react.Indeed the location b pc do have the domain DNS,also the server iam trying to rejoin.The peculiar is that with nslookup i can resolve from location b the FQDN of locations a pcs/servers.It means that my DNS works right?Now fro a location i cant resolve that server name..??????Btw DHCP on location a and b works fine.I think that there must be a subneting/routing issue. I' ll try to work on it now to see if that is my problem.Any more suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[kmcferrin]

You shouldn't have a separate domain just because the PCs are at another site. That's what AD sites are for.

If your PCs at site B can resolve for hosts in site A, then it would seem that they're using "correct" DNS servers. But that doesn't mean that everything is OK with DNS or DHCP. If you have a server at site B that is passing out addresses via DHCP and it isn't part of the Active Directory domain, then it will not register those host names with DNS. The end result will be that anything that gets an IP address via DHCP in site B will not be resolvable via DNS. Name resolution of site B hosts will probably work within site B even though they're not registered with DNS because of NetBIOS.

Also, why does the site B DNS server has it's own zone?

My recommendation is to either build a new server or rebuild the existing server in site B. Make it a domain controller that also does DNS and DHCP. Then go into AD Sites and Services and define your sites with the appropriate subnets and hosts. All will be well.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Hyper-V
MCTS:System Center Virtual Machine Manager
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator

 

[DgtlLgk]

Thanx again for ur adnvices.
Sites would be an alternative indeed.How can i dcpromo location b server since i cant resolve DC(unless is a new domain)!!Something i forgot to say is that some pcs do use static ip, and they r dynamicaly update.I created the location b DNS because i was trying to make the location b server a domain member server,after the many failures(i thought it could help by adding static A records!!!).Before b server was a DHCP,domain member server.They authorize DC(location a) DHCP to locations b DHCP and vice versa.At that point DHCP didnt work.Then we disjoin location b server from domain so we can recreate DHCP(only that way it worked!!!).
Thanx in advance