Windows 2000 and AD and DNS and Exchange Problems 1

[middi1]

This may be a Windows Exchange 2000 question buy figure I would also try in Windows 2000. My Exchange 2000 Server has been working fine up till a couple of days ago. Now I can create a user in Active Directory and the user creates but does not create a mailbox. Also I have a couple of users that I had deleted out of AD and when I went into System Manager to delete their mailboxes from Exchange it times out after about 2 minutes and will not delete. I can login fine to the Domain and can create users in the Domain but nothing will create in Exchange. I am thinking something is not right within AD and Exchange and maybe DNS. I just do not know what to do without wiping something out that I shouldn't. Another tech has told me that you can uninstall DNS from the server and reinstall and let it rebuild AD but that sounds pretty scary to me. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[markdmac]

Removing DNS would NOT cause a rebuild of Active Directory. AD is highly dependent on DNS but they are two different things. You can even use a Unix box running BIND to provide the DNS that AD uses.

Sounds like your Exchange box has lost its trust with the domain or some similar problem. Definately the first thing to check is DNS. You can try flushing the DNS cache on the Exchange box, then re-register DNS and restart the netlogon service.

Do the following:

1. On the DNS server remove the A record for the Exchange box.
2. On the Exchange server execute the following from a comand prompt:
IPCONFIG /FLUSHDNS
IPCONFIG /REGISTERDNS
NET STOP NETLOGON
NET START NETLOGON

Now verify that the A record in DNS is back for the Exchange server. If it is not then you need to check further into why it is not regisrtering with DNS.

If your Exchange server is a DC, then take a look at each DC and run NETDOM QUERY FSMO to see if all your DCs agree on who holds the FSMO roles.

I hope you find this post helpful. Please let me know if it was.

Regards,

Mark