Swing migration questions regarding exisiting DHCP, WINS and DNS 2

[DanielUK]

OK, I'm very close to finding the time to do a swing migration to integrate a SBS2003 box into my existing 15 user Win2k (two DCs) network - thanks to those that have helped me so far.

I know that the SBS box will hold the FSMO roles but I have the following questions:

1. Although the MS knowledgebase (

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453)

tells me to make the SBS box a Global Catalog and then remove the GC from the exisiting DCs, does that actually mean there is only one GC ever allowed in an SBS domain?

2. I have DHCP scopes set up between my existing DCs. Does DHCP have to now migrate to the SBS box or can I keep it on the existing DCs?

3. Same as above for WINS and DNS, can they only be serviced by the SBS box?

Thanks

Dan

 

[ShackDaddy]

1) An SBS network can have more than one GC. This is a good idea if there are multiple sites.

2) The SBS box does not have to be the DHCP provider, but it still needs to provide DNS addresses to its clients that allow it to resolve internal names, so the SBS box and/or another DC with DNS should be used as the DNS address provided by DHCP.

3) WINS can be handled by any server, as long as the SBS box points to that server as a WINS client. DNS has to run on the SBS, but any other DC can be a DNS server. The SBS box should point at itself for DNS.

Dave Shackelford
Shackelford Consulting

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks a lot Dave,

So, I can leave the DNS/DHCP as is i.e. on the existing DCs? However, as you say, I should point the SBS box at itself for DNS. This will be usfeul in not having to update the workstations that point at the existing DCs for DNS/DHCP.

I was wondering why the MS documentation requires you to remove existing GCs...am I safe to assume that I can make them GCs after the swing migration is complete?

Thanks

Dan

 

[58sniper]

You shouldn't have to touch the workstations for anything.

Any DC that's running DNS should point to itself for DNS.

If you update the DNS settings in your DHCP scope, the workstations will get the new settings during their next renewal.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, you can make them GC's after the migration is complete.

Dave Shackelford
Shackelford Consulting

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks to everyone who helped answer my questions. I performed the swing migration over the weekend and it appears to be a success however, my XP Pro clients are now slower to login, taking an extra couple of minutes.

I've seen threads on this behaviour suggesting DNS problems but it all looks OK, everything now points at the SBS server (verified by ipconfig) for primary DNS, and the SBS server points at itself, although I have given it's IP address rather than 127.0.0.1 but I am going to change it tomorrow at work. I'm guessing that referencing it's static IP wouldn't cause that mush of a problem?

One thing I am concerned about, and it may be related, is I left the DHCP service on the other two win2k DCs and not running on the SBS box, as discussed previously in this thread and wanting to keep exisitng DHCP on the other servers.

I've read from the SBS box telling me and this forum that only one DHCP server can be running on an SBS domain. Currently I've got the existing two (separate ranges) and I would like to know if this is bad practice and maybe the reason for the slow logins? Should I make the SBS box the only DHCP server?

Thanks

Dan

 

[DanielUK]

OK, on investigation, it seems I have been getting Event ID 1002 errors since I set up two scopes on the two existing DCs (one deactivated ready for redundancy) well before I installed the SBS box:

Event Type: Error
Event Source: Dhcp
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1002
Date: 06/03/2008
Time: 10:01:25
User: N/A
Computer: WORKSTATION12
Description:
The IP address lease 192.168.0.2 for the Network Card with network address 0019DB867366 has been denied by the DHCP server 192.168.0.21 (The DHCP Server sent a DHCPNACK message).

192.168.0.21 is the win2k DC with a deactivated scope so I'm wondering why it's even referenced? Both scopes have the same reservations.

Although these error messages are in the Event logs of all of my clients since I set the two scopes up (yet everything has been working fine), I'm wondering if now that the SBS box is in, it's slowing everything up having the two DHCP servers that are NOT the SBS box...should I do as SBS says and only have the one? If so, what's the best thing for DHCP redundancy bearing in mind I have IP addresses reserved for specific MAC addresses?

Dan

 

[58sniper]

From one of those machines, if you do a release/renew, does it still take quite a while? I've seen it take a while the first time after a migration as the clients try to connect to the original DHCP server for a renewal. When that fails, they go through the normal DHCP process.

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP

 

[DanielUK]

Thanks for the advice but since I pointed the SBS box's DNS at itself using 127.0.0.1 as opposed to it's static IP address, they've sped up to normal login times now...this may be a coincidence though!

Dan

 

[jferrante]

What is a better practice (and why) Using the loopback address as Dan has done, or using the actual IP address. Does it matter???

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[58sniper]

Thanks for the advice but since I pointed the SBS box's DNS at itself using 127.0.0.1 as opposed to it's static IP address, they've sped up to normal login times now...this may be a coincidence though!

I suspect that's not it. It's likely that they've found an online DHCP server now (as mentioned in my previous reply).

Pat Richard
Microsoft Exchange MVP