NT4.0 - How to specify which DC or DBC validates a logon

[Rene]

We have a 2 Tier system (Accounts Domain and Resource Domain).<br>
<br>
We are spread out over several buildings. Each building is in its own Resource Domain, but we all share the same Accounts domain. <br>
<br>
We have 5 BDC's for our accounts domain (1 in each building).<br>
<br>
We are having a problem with one of the BDC's (in the Accounts Domain)in that it will not run the login scripts. So any user that gets autenticated on that specific BDC is not getting the drive mappings (mapped in the scripts) however users being authenticted on any other BDC or PDC are working just fine.<br>
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The problem is that it is hard to test as my machine is not being autenticated by that specific BDC so everything is working just fine.<br>
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What I would like to do is to force my workstation to use that specific BDC to authenticate me so I can do test.<br>
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Is there a way to force which BDC or PDC authenticates me?<br>
<br>
Rene

 

[billtiv]

Have you set up Wins?

 

[Rene]

We do and have been using WINS all along. Pinging the server by name and or IP work. There have been no name changes or IP changes to any of the WINS servers/ or BDC's in question.

 

[Blotto99]

You are going to log in to whichever DC responds first. One way to tip the scales in the favor of the BDC have problems is to connect to the same subnet as it is, for testing purposes.<br>
<br>
Since you are on the same subnet, it should definitely be able to respond the quickest to your auth request.

 

[MasterRacker]

Blotto is right. A workstation broadcasts it's authentication request. Whichever DC is &quot;closest&quot; or least busy will respond. <br>
<br>
If you were to &quot;insert&quot; a hub between the BDC and the rest of the network and plug your test station into that you would essentially create a 2 device subnet and really tip the scales toward that machine. <p> Jeff<br><a href=mailto: masterracker@hotmail.com> masterracker@hotmail.com</a><br><a href= > </a><br>

 

[copper]

Rene,

Since most of the other replies have answered your question. I have a thought on your actual issue. Make sure the users who are authenticated on that bdc have access to the server from the network. You can chk for it under usermgr\policies\user rights\access this computer from network.

 

[french01]

Rene,

This can be done, because I had the same issue some 12 months ago. I got it going by using a reg hack.

For the life of me I cannot find the reference I used back then, but I am certain it was required to add a reg entry under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon
I think it was add a Key called &quot;LogonServer&quot;
give it the value of the servername you want to nominate.

Sorry I can't be more specific, but it does work when you get the syntax right.
-Hugh

 

[ntnet]

I know this is not really the answer you want to get but you could verify that the scripts are there by requesting their execution with something like : \\servername\netlogon\scriptname.bat

If you can't get the scripts this way, you might want to verify the replication configuration to make sure it gets done properly.

Good luck and please post the solution once you get it working... I would really like to know ! S. Gagner
MIS
A+ MCP

 

[pbxman]

..All great tips guys...i'd just like to add for the simple purpose of having that many BDC's on a network...you should be running an advanced script such as Kixtart...that way, ...in the script...you can define values such as...%if in subnet = x..call\\servername\netlogon\kixstart.kix&quot;...that way - you can track what happens in each subnet, and log failures, and the like. PLEASE look into more advanced logon scripting as a solution to your problem...a user in any subnet should only pull logon information from the BDC which represents that subnet should a PDC, or other master browser fail. This is common network practice with a multi-subnet domain..
Good Luck..

 

[dmw]

I think this will answer your question. The same thing is happening to me...see this Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 167029

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;167029

It speaks of a utility that points you client to the BDC you want, but only for NT / 2000 clients.