Replication errors caused by DNS or vice versa?

[JPJeffery]

For about the past month our intersite replication has been failing (and we can't remember anything being changed at that time that may have affected this operation).

When I compare the DNS settings between the various servers there are differences but I'm not sure whether these DNS differences are causing the replication errors or whether the replication errors are the cause of the DNS inconsistencies.

One thing we've spotted is that the NTDS Settings for each 'primary' site DC refers to DNS servers in other sites. Shouldn't the only entries be the automatically generated entries referring to the DNS server in the same site?

Just to clarify our topology. We have three sites, London, New York and Hong Kong. Each site has two domain controllers which each act as a DNS server. Our aim is for DC1 in each domain to perform the replication between sites (we're using Spotlight at the moment and the Topology Viewer shows that it thinks this is correct).

All suggestions are welcomed...

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple][/small]

 

[djtech2k]

Well first off, DNS can cause you all sorts of headaches. If each site has 2 DC's and each DC runs DNS, then each DC should look at itself for DNS resolution and at the other server in the same site as the secondary DNS server. Trying to get DNS resolution over such a wide WAN link couls be an issue.

As for your replication issues, well that could be many things, including DNS. I would suggest running dcdiag as a starter on your DC's and see what it comes up with. You also at some point may want to break the replication links in AD Sites and Services and then force the kcc to run and regenerate the links for you.

 

[JPJeffery]

Well, all sorts of S hit the F over the weekend...

One error we're seeing a lot (and with no significant mentions of it on microsoft.com) is "The target principal name is incorrect". What the heck does this mean?!

JJ
[small][purple]Variables won't. Constants aren't[/purple][/small]