FSMO Role PDC Emulator

[rflanary]

I have recently moved the PDC emulator role to a new domain controller. I did this about 2 months ago. Everything is fine except some clients are still syncing to the old PDC for time. Some are connecting to the new server.

I did not restart the old server when i moved the Role. I did not think it required it.

How do the clients know when the PDC emulator changes?

Thanks for any help.

 

[mrdenny]

It's done through DNS lookups. If the DNS servers take a while to replicate the change the clients will continue to query the old machine until the change is fully replicated and all client machines local DNS cache expire.

If you have WINS setup then WINS may have the same problem replicating the change.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

My Blog

 

[rflanary]

So its a client issue. What happens when i remove that DC? I plan to do that this weekend.

I would assume just a reboot of the client should fix it. Maybe flush the dns cache.

 

[mrdenny]

Make sure that the change has been replicated to all your DNS servers.

Rebooting the client machines will flush the client machines cache.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

My Blog

 

[rflanary]

how can i tell if its been replicated?

 

[MikeKhod]

Can someone pls tell me how the roles should be?
I have 2 dcs and i run all roles on one dc and as well as make it the GC, i am not sure what the proper way would be. Out of the 5 roles one of them gives me a warning about running that role with GC?

 

[rflanary]

you must be talking about infrastructure master. Its okay to ignore the warning as long as all your DC's are GC's.

 

[MikeKhod]

I am new to this so i dont know how i am supposed to post a new problem or question. Sorry for posting it under your question?

 

[rflanary]

I followed this KB.

http://www.petri.co.il/transferring_fsmo_roles.htm

works great.

 

[rflanary]

I checked in DNS. The server I have listed for PDC is the new one. I guess its replicated and just cached on the client.

 

[rflanary]

whats the easiest way to sync our dc with an outside time source. Which time source is the best and reliable?

Thanks

 

[mrdenny]

Double click on the clock and set the second tab to the Microsoft time server (or any of the other ones on the list).

(I'm not by a Windows Server machine, but I'm pretty sure that it's there.)

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000)
MCTS (SQL 2005 / Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0: Configuration / Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007: Configuration)
MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005) / Database Developer (SQL 2005)

My Blog

 

[rflanary]

That option is not available on a domain controller.

 

[JBruyet]

Try this for your time server:

http://www.pool.ntp.org/use.html

You'll need to make sure you set your server that holds the PDC role to get it's time from this site.

Thanks,

Joe B

 

[MikeKhod]

use net time /set options. then use the time server posted.
When you join a pc to a domain you loose the option cause they use the dcs.

 

[rflanary]

I know this is a domain controller.