Global Catalog Server could not be located

[ncudmore]

OK here's the set-up...
3 Windows 2003 servers (all using msdn subscription cdroms/keys), mail, isa and file. The first server in the forest to be seup was the mailserver, and is/was the operations master for all roles.

Running dsquery server -hasfsmo ... on the roles tells me the server is still listed as the operations master for all roles. So far so good, but....

If I connect to the server on a remote console and run dcdiag I get
Warning: DcGetDcName(GC_SERVER_REQUIRED) call failed, error 1355
A Global Catalog Server could not be located - All GC's are down.

Also where I had a mapped drive to the servers shared drive, if I try and connect I get the error
Microsoft Windows Network: The local device name is already in use.

if I connect via start run, \\192.168.1.128
I see the shared folders fine...
but a start run, \\mail
returns a logon failure: the target account name is incorrect.

I attempted to transfer the roles to one of the other servers and in the ad mmc, It says the current operations master is offline. but on the mail server itself no errors are shown in the mmc !!!

Can anyone help on this, I don't fancy rebuilding the mailserver if I can help it, and think if I size the roles I have to reformat the drive....

 

[Wishdiak]

ncudmore,

This all sounds DNS related. Do you have Active Directory integration with your DNS server(s)?

Are the other two servers Domain Controllers, or member servers? At least one would have to be in order to seize FSMO roles, but you don't explicitly state this.

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[ncudmore]

Both the mail server and the file server have DNS intergrated and running, as well as DHCP, but only the mail server has WINS.

Following your post, I checked the DNS, and found as I expected from when I installed, one A-name record for the mail server + two C-name alias records, and an MX record, all as expected. The mail server also only has a single IP address, and single NIC installed.

All servers inside are on the same C-class IP range (192.168.1.x) and only the isa server has a second NIC with a 192.168.0.64 address in the DMZ.

One last thing, thinking back, this all seems to of gone pear shaped since raising the domain functional level to 2003 from 2000 which it was all of last year.

 

[MTVW]

Look for the GC entries on the DNS server. Under _msdcs

try to run netdiag/fix that will repopulate entries.

Is the correct DNS server being used?

 

[ncudmore]

Well, too late to check this, as of this morning, it's all working fine... No changes made!

Strange or what? Oh, well thanks anyways....

 

[asktheman]

Strange but can happen,, do you have auditing enabled to see if any changes where made.