Installing AD on Win2k Adv Svr makes boot s-l-o-w

[ITsmyfault]

ok.. maybe a newbie Q but:

I am building a Win2k server to run some apps. I'm not a windows guy.. (unix/novell) I install Win2k fine, patch it and patch it some more. It runs great, networking is fine. Then I go to install AD. It prompts me to install DNS, which I understand.. I go through the installs and reboot. On this reboot and all subsequent ones it hangs for 10 minutes or so at the "establishing network connections: screen. It appears to be timing something out, but what? This is the first server in the domain, and it has to be a domain as it will be part of a cluster.. so i can't skip the AD part. Any ideas? I have the server using itself as primary DNS, etc. I've done this twice.. runs great until the AD install. Should I be doing this prior to the patching?

 

[vasquea1]

aw

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you say your gonna but the DC as a cluster?

 

[bracadar]

Hi, sometimes after an AD load it takes a while to reboot. 10 min is not uncommon. You can load AD first and add DNS later if you like. I would load DNS and configure my IPs, forward and reverse lookups and forwarders and do a reboot. Check and make sure all of your machines are communicating with each other. If it looks good, then I would dcpromo and wait. Go get a sandwich or something. Tell me how it goes.

 

[lwinstead]

ITsmyfault, I had the exact same thing happen to me while rebuilding our Domain Controller a month or so ago. Basically, what bracadar says is correct. In my case, however, after patching Win2k with SP2, the problem disappeared. I'm not sure if there's any relation, but try applying the latest SP (service patch, just in case...) and see if that clears it us. I know for certain that there are issues with the network loading when you've got more than one network card present and working on the server, and maybe the SP fixes that. *shrug*

I hope that helps!!

<<<<[flux]>>>>

 

[ITsmyfault]

Vasquea1 - actually building 2 different clusters. It never rains. On one network the cluster servers (2) are the only Win2k servers so they will have to both be DC's; on the other I could make another box the DC if that is the better way to go.
bracadar - wow.. 10 min is not uncommon? well, it is a relief, but what in the world could it be doing for that long? (pi out to 1MM places?) I will try it as you say, DNS first and make sure DNS is 100% happy and then do the AD install.
I have the first cluster to where the first server is up, seeing the drives and running AD. Boot is still really l-o-n-g.. but it seems to be working well otherwise. I created domain users but no one can log in to the domain.. wierd. I set workstation DNS for the cluster server. DNS does seem to work - they can browse the web fine.

Thanks for the answers and ideas! Much appreciated. I'll keep plugging away here and let you know how it goes.

 

[cfrishman]

If itis a new domain, you need to add the machines to the domain with an administrator account. Remember, workstations establish a computer account with the DC, so they must be joined to the new domain.