Weird Domain Controller issue - Symptoms Included

[timmoat]

Hi there,

I have a very odd problem with x1 domain controller in a network consisting of x2 domain controllers x1 Exchange server. All servers are newbuild Windows Server 2008 64bit Standard and have been up and running for around 6 months now. (I appreciate that this is the Server 2003 forum but I dont think that matters too much considering the symptoms - the underlying technology is similar in as much as you will likely be able to give me a helpful pointer or diag command to run).

SYMPTOMS:

On domain controller 2:

I cannot access DNS, Active Directory Users and Computers
I cannot access

http://www.google.com

from internet explorer but can if I use its ip address
I can ping

http://www.google.com

(possibly due to cached lookup)
I can tracert

http://www.google.com

(as above)
I cannot connect to Client machines file shares
Client machines can still access the file share associated with this server

On domain controller 1 (contains FSMO roles)

I can access all AD, DNS functionality but cannot access Domain Controller 2 for this functionality
I can access domain controller 2 file share

ATTEMPTED RESOLUTIONS:

Restarted NETLOGON Service, Active Directory Domain Services, DNS Client & DNS Server Services... but nothing resolves.

This has happened once before and a restart DID cure the issue. It has now resurfaced after another few months but no updates have been installed recently.

ERROR LOGS:

Error 5719

Not a huge amount to go on and mostly just Group Policy errors apart from this one:


This computer was not able to set up a secure session with a domain controller in domain DOMAINROOT due to the following:

The RPC server is unavailable.

This may lead to authentication problems. Make sure that this computer is connected to the network. If the problem persists, please contact your domain administrator.

ADDITIONAL INFO

If this computer is a domain controller for the specified domain, it sets up the secure session to the primary domain controller emulator in the specified domain. Otherwise, this computer sets up the secure session to any domain controller in the specified domain.



Question:

Does anyone have any idea what the cause could be? Our 3rd line guys dont have a clue!

Please help!

 

[IllogicallyLogical]

There is a Windows Server 2008 forum located here: forum1674.

Try running Dcdiag, which is now built-in to Windows Server 2008, against the problematic DC and see what tests it is failing.

- Dcdiag

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731968.aspx

Joey
CCNA, MCSA 2003, MCP, A+, Network+, Wireless#

 

[timmoat]

Had to bite the bullet and restart which instantly cured it.

I used the DNSLINT utility but it couldnt connect to actually run any tests.

Probably worth me running DCDIAG on there in anycase even though it is now running happily as this is the 2nd time it has occured albeit in months.

Its just such a quirky problem!

 

[timmoat]

Just to update on this; DCDIAG did not highlight any failures on either Domain Controller.

It has not occurred since but it has done it twice now in 6 months so I am expecting it to occur again.

Thanks

Tim