Is there such thing as Primary DC and Secondary DC ?

[Guest Pintu]

Hi,

 

I there such thing as Primary Domain Controller and a Secondary Domain

Controller in Windows 2003 Domain?

 

Can you have 2 domain controller in Windows 2003 Domain? I think the answer

is Yes.

 

If you 2 Domina controller - what roles do these have. Doesn't one server

have to have something that the other server does not have - like Global

Catalog?

 

Thanks,

P

[Guest mymanchris@gmail.com]

Re: Is there such thing as Primary DC and Secondary DC ?

 

Each domain must have 1 (and only 1) Primary Domain Controller, or

PDC. It can have as many Backup Domain Controllers, or BDCs, as you

wish (I'm not sure if there's any physical limitation on this or not).

The PDC stays synchronized with the BDCs and in case of failure of the

PDC, one of the BDCs gets "promoted" to PDC and assumes that role.

When the PDC comes back, it becomes a BDC until it is "promoted" back

into PDC role.

 

Perhaps one of the MCSEs in the audience can provide more detail on

the inner workings of election processes, but that's the 10,000 foot

view of domain controller roles.

 

Hope that helps.

 

On Dec 3, 2:11 pm, Pintu <Pi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I there such thing as Primary Domain Controller and a Secondary Domain

> Controller in Windows 2003 Domain?

>

> Can you have 2 domain controller in Windows 2003 Domain? I think the answer

> is Yes.

>

> If you 2 Domina controller - what roles do these have. Doesn't one server

> have to have something that the other server does not have - like Global

> Catalog?

>

> Thanks,

> P

[Guest Richard Mueller [MVP]]

Re: Is there such thing as Primary DC and Secondary DC ?

 

Actually that describes NT domains. In W2k and W2k3 domains all Domain

Controllers are equal. There are no backup DC's. However, there are roles

(Operations Master Roles) that are assigned to one (and only one) DC:

 

Schema Master

Domain Naming Master

PDC Emulator

RID Master

Infrastructure Master

 

The first two are one per forest, the other 3 one per domain. In addition, a

DC may or may not be designated a Global Catalog (there must be at least

one). As far as users are concerned, all DC's are equal. They can be

authenticated by any DC. The ones with the roles just have extra

responsibilities.

 

--

Richard Mueller

Microsoft MVP Scripting and ADSI

Hilltop Lab - http://www.rlmueller.net

--

 

<mymanchris@gmail.com> wrote in message

news:2c1d139b-e028-4bc0-b576-1ae75d084838@a39g2000pre.googlegroups.com...

> Each domain must have 1 (and only 1) Primary Domain Controller, or

> PDC. It can have as many Backup Domain Controllers, or BDCs, as you

> wish (I'm not sure if there's any physical limitation on this or not).

> The PDC stays synchronized with the BDCs and in case of failure of the

> PDC, one of the BDCs gets "promoted" to PDC and assumes that role.

> When the PDC comes back, it becomes a BDC until it is "promoted" back

> into PDC role.

>

> Perhaps one of the MCSEs in the audience can provide more detail on

> the inner workings of election processes, but that's the 10,000 foot

> view of domain controller roles.

>

> Hope that helps.

>

> On Dec 3, 2:11 pm, Pintu <Pi...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>> Hi,

>>

>> I there such thing as Primary Domain Controller and a Secondary Domain

>> Controller in Windows 2003 Domain?

>>

>> Can you have 2 domain controller in Windows 2003 Domain? I think the

>> answer

>> is Yes.

>>

>> If you 2 Domina controller - what roles do these have. Doesn't one server

>> have to have something that the other server does not have - like Global

>> Catalog?

>>

>> Thanks,

>> P

>