Cleanup server metadata with AD Users & Computers assigns RID master role to offline DC 1

[mbrayc]

Hi everyone,

I have a setup of 9 windows servers (four with Server 2003, four with Server 2008, and one with Server 2008 R2 x64). I am getting ready to bring online a second Server 2008 R2 server for Exchange in order to migrate from Exchange 2003 to Exchange 2010 (replacing two Server 2003 servers). As part of the migration, I'm attempting to clean up metadata for two 2003 servers that failed years ago and are offline, but still show up in Active Directory (both apparently were forcibly removed-one being a former Domain Controller (and also a Global Catalog Domain Controller)). I attempted to run the Ntdsutil.exe utility to seize the roles from the offline Domain Controller and reassign them to the current Domain Controllers, but wasn't able to connect to the active Domain Controller. (I kept getting a syntax error even though I double-checked to make sure I entered the correct server name). I attempted to run the cleanup through the Active Directory Users and Computers console to first remove the offline Domain Controller, following Microsoft's recommendations. However, when the dialog came up showing where the FSMO roles were being reassigned, the console was attempting to assign the RID master role to the other offline server. The server the console is attempting to assign the RID master role to still shows up under Active Directory Sites and Services. When I double-checked the properties of the listed Domain Controllers under AD Users & Computers, the server that the console was trying to assign the RID master role to was listed under the NTDS settings for all of the Domain Controllers (including the offline one).

My question is how to remove this offline Domain Controller (and its metadata) from the Active Directory while correctly assigning the roles it once held to current Domain Controllers? My other concern (or rather my colleague's) is that the AD Users and Computers console tried to assign the other FSMO roles to our backup Domain Controller, not the primary.

Thanks in advance,

Michael

 

[beefstew]

Are you trying to seize roles or remove offline DC's using metadata cleanup?

 

[mbrayc]

Hi beefstew,

I am trying to remove offline DCs.

 

[beefstew]

Use "con to ser" and specifiy an online DC. Are you getting that far?

 

[beefstew]

Metadata Cleanup Return
Connections Return
Con to ser "Servername" Return
Q Return
Sel op tar Return

You then have to select domain, site, and Server before you can remove the offline DC's

 

[mbrayc]

Thanks for the input. I'll give it a try tonight and let you know how it turns out.

 

[mbrayc]

Thanks again beefstew for the responses. With those commands and the Ntdsutil run again, I was able to get the roles moved over to one of the active domain controllers. I was then able to remove the AD metadata for the offline controllers through AD Sites and Services and AD Users and Computers.