Servers can't talk to each other

[davesmith]

I have now dwindled my long lasting problem down to something that may appear more clear!!!

we are using 2000 server, we have all machines (at present) on lower platforms of windows - all seemed fine - then when setting up new users on our PDC they were not transfering across the network and are not able to log in off any machine!! - old users work!!!!!!

After talks with more skilled people than I, we worked out that if our other domain controller (we did set it to pre 2000 compliant and PDC set as pdc operations master) was unplugged (physically) from the network people could log in using the new user names - unfortunately all program back data is on the other machine.

So they aren't talking and in active directory users/master controller on our BDC it says the operations master is offline - but we just proved it isn't!!!

I think i may be cracking this (slowly) and as it was a major job when my boss went on holiday (last weds) i'd like to get it done by his return (next tues)

Any help, any ideas i can bounce around my more skilled friends - Zoink - it would be v.v.appreciated

 

[Jpoandl]

a few questions....

"we are using 2000 server"...does this server have ACtive Directory loaded and participating within a Window 4.0 domain...ie MIXED MODE?

Do the client machines having a problem consist of just NT/2K, or are new people using 9x machines having problems too?

Where are you setting up the new user accounts? In AD or USRMGR?

What is your domain model? Single domain, Master, Multi-master..etc?

 

[davesmith]

We have Active Directory running on both machines running that allow pre-2000 login (not native i think the term is)

Our problem is with all platforms that try to log in using newly setup accounts ie Computer - PC** and user jbloggs.

Our new accounts are set up in AD on the supposed PDC, the master domain.

As stated, it works if just the PDC is plugged (patch) into network and the other is not.
It is a problem with them synchronising data for users.

This message appears in the event log:

Event Type: Warning
Event Source: BROWSER
Event Category: None
Event ID: 8021
Date: 4/10/2001
Time: 5:14:24 PM
User: N/A
Computer: SQL
Description:
The browser was unable to retrieve a list of servers from the browser master \\PDC on the network \Device\NetBT_Tcpip ***. The data is the error code.
Data:
0000: 35 00 00 00 5...

Does this make it any clearer to anyone!

Cheers

 

[Jpoandl]

I'm a little confused....

It seems to me that you have a mixed domain controller enviornment. You pre-exisiting Windows NT 4.0 domain controllers. In addition, you have one or more new Windows 2000 servers with Active Directory loaded.

"As stated, it works if just the PDC is plugged (patch) into network and the other is not.
It is a problem with them synchronising data for users."

The above statement confused me a bit. As far as I know, the first Windows 2000 server with active directory loaded (within the same DOMAIN) MUST "act" as the PDC. Another words, in all mixed NT and 2K environments, you should no longer have a Windows NT 4.0 PDC. Instead, the first Windows 2000 server will act act as the PDC...using the PDC emulator.

When adding the first Windows 2000 server to your environment, you should upgrade the PDC to Windows 2000.

If all this is already done in your environment, you should be OK. I would make sure that DNS and WINS resolution is working OK. I would make sure that WINS and DNS are set up correctly on the new 2000 servers (TCP/IP properties). Also make shure your client machines can resolve names of the new DC's.

Make sure your replication between DC's are working. Create the new account on one DC, wait awhile, then check the other DC's for the new account.

Let me know how you make out...hope this helps a bit.