I am relativly new to the IT world, about two years ago I was thrust into the position of running a computer network of about 200 computers, 4 servers and 500 users. The network was grown up over time and everything was a mess when I took over. Everything seemed to run fine untill about four months ago when something happened that caused many of the computers to loose their connection to the domain controller. We were running all windows server 2000 with one gateway server handling DNS, DHCP, WINS. One server running exchange and the primary DC. One server doing file sharing and running some server/client software and a backup DC.
I added another server as a DC with a clean install of 2003. Since then I have taken the gateway server offline and replaced it with a clean install of 2003. The current setwup is this:
One server (2003) running DNS, DCHP, WINS, the internet gateway, VPN, and its a DC. One 2003 server just doing backup DC. One server (2000) doing file sharing and software. One server (2000) doing Exchange 2000 and DC as well as secondary DNS. Right now I can't get a VPN connection to the gateway server, it says the username password is invaild on the domain. If I terminal server into that server and restart Routeing and Remote Access service then the VPN will connect, but I have to restart that service everytime I want to VPN in. Also occasionally I can't terminal server into that server, I get a RPC server is unavailible error. If I physically log in at the console and restart the RPC locator service then I can log in remotely again. The exchange server is off site and there is a VPN link through the routeing and remote access controll panel, that link is allways functional and seems unaffected by the above mentioned problems.
Also all the windows NT machines are unable to loginto the domain and must either use local accounts or cached accounts to log in. Every computer on the local network can ping every other computer includeing the DC's its just that some of them don't find the DC on login.
Does anyone have any idea of where I should begin fixing this?
Also I have talked to our finance manager about getting some money to buy three new servers to replace the four two-year-old servers we have now. Has anyone tried replacing all of the servers on a domain? If so what is the easiest way to do it? Please help me?
M
I added another server as a DC with a clean install of 2003. Since then I have taken the gateway server offline and replaced it with a clean install of 2003. The current setwup is this:
One server (2003) running DNS, DCHP, WINS, the internet gateway, VPN, and its a DC. One 2003 server just doing backup DC. One server (2000) doing file sharing and software. One server (2000) doing Exchange 2000 and DC as well as secondary DNS. Right now I can't get a VPN connection to the gateway server, it says the username password is invaild on the domain. If I terminal server into that server and restart Routeing and Remote Access service then the VPN will connect, but I have to restart that service everytime I want to VPN in. Also occasionally I can't terminal server into that server, I get a RPC server is unavailible error. If I physically log in at the console and restart the RPC locator service then I can log in remotely again. The exchange server is off site and there is a VPN link through the routeing and remote access controll panel, that link is allways functional and seems unaffected by the above mentioned problems.
Also all the windows NT machines are unable to loginto the domain and must either use local accounts or cached accounts to log in. Every computer on the local network can ping every other computer includeing the DC's its just that some of them don't find the DC on login.
Does anyone have any idea of where I should begin fixing this?
Also I have talked to our finance manager about getting some money to buy three new servers to replace the four two-year-old servers we have now. Has anyone tried replacing all of the servers on a domain? If so what is the easiest way to do it? Please help me?
M