SBS 2003 Server shutting down at random - detects another DC

[derajer]

I am currently running a W2K3SBS server as the platform for a First Class email server. It recently(Friday the 13th) began shutting down at random with an SB Core 1011,1012 error stating that it has detected another domain controller. Looking back through the logs the initial detection occured on 4/6/07. So we didn't even get our 2 week grace period. There are no other controllers for this domain. The only other windows server on the network are a W2K server hosting a different application and a W2K server (non-DC) running another application. These 3 systems have coexisted for 2 years. The errors I am receiving in total are

UserEnv 1053,1030
SQLAgent$SBSMONITORING 102,103
MSSQLSBSMonitoring 19011
Small Business Server 4104
NTDS General 1126, 1655, 1168
LsaSRV 40961, 40960
SBCore 1011, 1012

I have confirmed that all 5 roles are assigned to the server in accordanced with MS KB324801.

I do not run DNS on the server, it has a very slim set of services. I did flush the DNS cache. I changed to use a different DNS server(s)

I reinstalled MSSQL SBS Monitoring, and then later disabled the 2 services.

Since I have disabled the two services the crashes have stopped, but I am not sure if this is because I have created a successful workaround or because the time between crashes is random and has ceased to occur ever hour.

I am absoloutely clueless. Only one other person I read about had a similar issue, but no solution was posted. All other similar posts have been the result of another DC being present

 

[markdmac]

I do not run DNS on the server

How is you AD working? Where are you pointing SBS to for DNS? SBS should be running DNS to allow for clients to register their DHCP addresses with DNS.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

 

[nsanto17]

Make sure you don't have anyone with Laptops that are running any version of Windows Server as a DC.

One of my clients had this same problem and it turned out to be that one of the employees was using his sons laptop that had windows 2003 server on it running as a DC.

I don't know why people do the things they do....

 

[58sniper]

That shouldn't matter. You can have many domains on the same wire without SBS complaining. Unless there is another DC for the SAME domain *NAME*, you should be fine.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[LWComputingMVP]

I'd reinstall the box and stop trying to nitpick services. SBS is a highly integrated solution that, to function properly, needs everything to be installed and running properly - not "tweaked" to suite specific needs. It's a bundled solution for "everything" (or most things) and should be setup using the wizards and not manually - you can get strange problems when you start mucking around with the setup of the machine - this is likely one of them.

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

You cannot remove DNS from running on an SBS. It MUST be running and properly configured in order for an SBS to function. As lwcomputing mentioned above, your SBS is an integrated solution which requires it to be deployed as designed.

At this point, you can re-configure DNS on the SBS manually or do a repair installation to set it back to it's default.



Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

Blog:

http://techsoeasy.spaces.live.com

 

[markdmac]

TechSoEasy,

You cannot remove DNS

I will have to respectfully disagree. It is POSSIBLE to remove DNS from SBS, though not at all advisable. Like any Windows server, SBS can rely on a non AD integrated DNS but it is just a lousy idea.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

Check out my scripting solutions at

http://www.thespidersparlor.com/vbscript

Work SMARTER not HARDER. The Spider's Parlor's Admin Script Pack is a collection of Administrative scripts designed to make IT Administration easier! Save time, get more work done, get the Admin Script Pack.

 

[TechSoEasyMVP]

There are many things on an SBS that are "POSSIBLE" to do, but would render the server unusable. (Such as changing the default MyBusiness OU's name)

SBS cannot rely on a non-AD integrated DNS because it's a Domain Controller (generally the ONLY DC -- which happens to be true in this situation) so if it's not running DNS then most likely there won't be a number of things which are required for SBS to function properly... such as DNS SRV records, or a properly configured Global Catalog Server.

To get back to the actual question here... DNS is only part of the issue. Even though the primary error message is that there is another DC on the network, that error message will also appear when SBS CANNOT determine if there is or isn't another DC on the network. In this case, it can't verify their existence. The telling events for this are the NTDS General ones -- SBS cannot see a Global Catalog server.

So... could all of this be fixed without actually reinsalling DNS on the SBS? Perhaps. But any change on the server in the future, including important security updates, could render the server useless again.

I'd also point out that the "grace period" for SBS checking to ensure Active Directory compliance is only 7 days, not 14.





Jeffrey B. Kane
TechSoEasy

http://www.techsoeasy.com

Blog:

http://techsoeasy.spaces.live.com