Re: Can you remove DNS from Domain Controller and reinstall to rep
Re: Can you remove DNS from Domain Controller and reinstall to rep
"Meinolf Weber" wrote in message
news:ff16fb667ac58cae934bc873a5b@msnews.microsoft.com...
>> <Is this the only DC/DNS server?>
>>
>> At this particular site it was...I orignally had it configured to use
>> itself and a remote DNS server at my main site for it's DNS server.
>> It was a record 48hrs that it sat at Preparing Network Connections. It
>> had done a reboot about 5:00am on a Saturday and Monday morning it was
>> still sitting at the screen. DNS had been flaking out for the past 2
>> weeks after some updates had applied, for example, my DNS zone would
>> be empty and I had to manually restart the DNS server service for it
>> to populate but then it would still boot up okay...then about 2 weeks
>> later, it just got stuck on that part of the reboot. I figured out
>> the issue was the DNS Server because I went into Safe mode and changed
>> it to Manual, then no problem.
>>
>> <If you have an additional DC, i would make it also DNS server use AD
>> integrated zones and configure both of them for preferred DNS as
>> itself and secondary to the other.>
>>
>> The secondary DNS server that I just brought up, I did install DNS on
>> it as well, and it's zone is also AD-Integrated. I installed DNS
>> first, then added the DC role to it so it configured the AD-Integrated
>> zone automatically. This backup DC is fully operational, replicating
>> with the other 4 DCs in my domain (at 3 different sites). I
>> configured its DNS with itself as the primary, the above DC having
>> issues is the secondary, and I added one of my remote DNS servers as a
>> third.
>>
>> And like you suggested, I had added my newly promoted DC as the
>> secondary DNS server to the one having the problem starting up. I
>> have not yet attempted a reboot yet on the server having the issue, so
>> perhaps this will solve it, but the problem still exists that why now
>> all of a sudden this server can't find itself as a DNS server during
>> the boot process when it was working just fine a couple of weeks ago?
>> That's why I'm wondering if I just remove DNS from this server and
>> reinstall it, it might fix whatever the problem is...
>>
>> Thanks for your reply,
>>
>> Sara
>>
Sara,
What operating system and service pack level are your DCs?
Do you have AD Sites configured properly?
What errors are on any of the DCs? If any exist, please post the EventID#
and Source names.
I'm trying to get a handle on your infrastructure. Not sure what was
installed or updated, but any of the updates would not cause this issue. So
I'll give you a generalization of what to look for with configuring your DCs
in a multi-site scenario and other recommendations.
In a multi-site config with Sites configured properly, always point DNS to
itself as first, and pick another DC in another site as second.
There is no such thing as a 'secondary' zone, unless of coure you are
speaking of the position as being the 'second' DNS address in ip properties.
If you have any DC with a tru "Secondary" zone of a zone that is AD
integrated, expect huge problems. If so, it will cause duplicate zones in
the AD database and that is not easily cleaned up.
If you have ever wanted to uninstall DNS on a DC, and decided to manually
delete an AD Integrated zone first prior to uninstallation, you have just
effectively deleted the whole zone out of AD. If you want to remove the DNS
service off a DC that has an AD integrated zone, simply go into Add/Remove,
Windows Components, and uncheck the box. Never delete the zone first.
If a server cannot 'find itself' for DNS, I would suggest to change it's
first entry to another DC in another Site with an operational DNS and let it
come up. Then put itself as second. Reboot after about an hour to make sure
it still comes up. If it comes up clean, then change it to itself as the
first entry, then the other one as the second entry. The reason why it can't
find itself is because AD is not up yet for whatever reason, such as
possibly an update, or an app change and needed to do something during the
restart, etc, therefore since AD is not up yet, and the zone is Ad
integrated, then DNS can't find it in the AD database simply because AD
services have not started yet.
Make sense?
So applying what i mentioned, can you backtrack on what was done and in what
order as to what was done to better understand what may have happened?
--
Regards,
Ace
This posting is provided "AS-IS" with no warranties or guarantees and
confers no rights.
Ace Fekay, MCSE 2003 & 2000, MCSA 2003 & 2000, MCSE+I, MCT,
MVP Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
Microsoft Certified Trainer
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