How's my plan to replace my PDC?

[mullivan]

Here's our plan (POOH is the current PDC, NEWPOOH is the machine replacing it):

1. Promote NEWPOOH to PDC (POOH will be automatically demoted to BDC)

2. Synchronize domain and wait 20 minutes

3. Shutdown POOH, unplug from network and synchronize domain (POOH will automatically be removed from Server Manager)

4. Delete all WINS records and wait 20 minutes

5. Change NEWPOOH IP addresses and wait 20 minutes

6. Change NEWPOOH name and wait 20 minutes

7. Synchronize domain controllers

Does this look OK? Thanks a lot!

 

[ilpadrino]

i'm not sure since you're resetting the wins database, but i don't think you can easily rename a pdc.

 

[epohl]

Also you will want to synchronize the domain before you promote NEWPOOH to PDC to assure that it has the most cuurent changes to the SAM database. Also want to check event viewer on NEWPOOH before you promote it to make sure it has synchronized completely.

 

[mullivan]

ilpadrino - It should be pretty easy - it's a feature built into NT (right click Network neighborhood, select Properties, and you can change the name of the computer or domain).

 

[juggy]

I would if possible build your new box and promote it to PDC firstly copy any scripts etc to c:\winnt\system32\repl\export (i think) And once the domain is working ok ie 20 mins switch the old box off (pooh) Wins will automatically remove the entry for you. Also remove the old box from server manager. Once this is done rename the box and bring it back up. Once all this works swap the IP address. If you have to do the IP address at the same time then do it after you renamed and all came up fine. Check your event viewer. You can rename a PDC as instructed earlier.

 

[mullivan]

Thanks juggy - that sounds exactly like what we are planning to do, with one exception: we were going to change the IP address first (restart the machine, synchronize daomin, wait 20 minutes), and THEN rename the machine. Is there any reason to rename first and then change the IP? Does it matter?

 

[ilpadrino]

i know how to rename a computer. what i meant is that renaming a pdc may bring some consequences for your network. how many machines are logging into the domain? are there any existing bdc's? resetting wins may help

 

[mullivan]

I gotcha ilpadrino. There are about 50 machines logging in to the domain (all running Win98). We have 5 BDCs running WinNT and a member server running Win2000. We planned on deleting all WINS records in step 4, just before changing the IP and re-naming...

 

[mullivan]

I meant to say the Win2000 server is a STAND ALONE server, not a member server.