How many Domain Controllers should I have?

[Guest humour]

A few questions about domain controllers.

 

I have 3 servers in my network, 2 are domain controllers - 1 is 2003 the

other is 2000.

 

q1) Is it good to have more than one domain controller?

 

q2) I recently restarted one of my servers, several of my users machines got

a message the "trust relationship has been broken" << something similar. I

think this is indicating one of my servers is not properly authenticating

users. Does this sound reasonable?

 

q3) My 2003 server has been starting to fail, I bought a new one from Dell

but I didnt make it a domain controller...

 

should I make it a domain controller? If so why?

 

Will it slow the server down? Its primary job is a database server for my

accounting system.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Humour

[Guest Meinolf Weber]

Re: How many Domain Controllers should I have?

 

Hello humour,

 

see inline

 

Best regards

 

Meinolf Weber

Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

no rights.

** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

> A few questions about domain controllers.

>

> I have 3 servers in my network, 2 are domain controllers - 1 is 2003

> the other is 2000.

>

> q1) Is it good to have more than one domain controller?

 

YES, because of redundancy for the database where anything is stored about

users etc. Also think about to make the second DC a DNS server with active

directory integrated zones and DHCP server, split your scope to both DHCP

servers, to also have redundancy for this. Additional it should be a Global

catalog server.

> q2) I recently restarted one of my servers, several of my users

> machines got a message the "trust relationship has been broken" <<

> something similar. I think this is indicating one of my servers is not

> properly authenticating users. Does this sound reasonable?

 

Please give some more info about your domain setup, are both servers in one

domain or different domains in one forest?

> q3) My 2003 server has been starting to fail, I bought a new one from

> Dell but I didnt make it a domain controller...

> should I make it a domain controller? If so why?

 

Depends on your needs, is it also Exchange server, then it is not recommended

to make it a DC. How may user accounts do you have?

> Will it slow the server down? Its primary job is a database server for

> my accounting system.

 

What kind of database do you use? SQL or Oracle or another one?

>

> Thanks in advance.

>

> Humour

>

[Guest humour]

Re: How many Domain Controllers should I have?

 

 

My replies to your replies PREFIXED with ***

 

 

"Meinolf Weber" wrote:

> Hello humour,

>

> see inline

>

> Best regards

>

> Meinolf Weber

> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

> no rights.

> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>

> > A few questions about domain controllers.

> >

> > I have 3 servers in my network, 2 are domain controllers - 1 is 2003

> > the other is 2000.

> >

> > q1) Is it good to have more than one domain controller?

>

> YES, because of redundancy for the database where anything is stored about

> users etc. Also think about to make the second DC a DNS server with active

> directory integrated zones and DHCP server, split your scope to both DHCP

> servers, to also have redundancy for this. Additional it should be a Global

> catalog server.

>

> > q2) I recently restarted one of my servers, several of my users

> > machines got a message the "trust relationship has been broken" <<

> > something similar. I think this is indicating one of my servers is not

> > properly authenticating users. Does this sound reasonable?

>

> Please give some more info about your domain setup, are both servers in one

> domain or different domains in one forest?

 

*** BOTH servers are in the same domain.

> > q3) My 2003 server has been starting to fail, I bought a new one from

> > Dell but I didnt make it a domain controller...

> > should I make it a domain controller? If so why?

>

> Depends on your needs, is it also Exchange server, then it is not recommended

> to make it a DC. How may user accounts do you have?

 

*** 40 users accounts approximately

>

> > Will it slow the server down? Its primary job is a database server for

> > my accounting system.

>

> What kind of database do you use? SQL or Oracle or another one?

 

** Pervasive and SQL SERVER

> >

> > Thanks in advance.

> >

> > Humour

 

 

**** Please Validate this, given that my original 2003 server is starting to

fail I am inclined to make my new server a Domain Controller as well. Would

you agree this is a good move.

 

**** If you think I should please point me to an FAQ about how to make a

server not already a domain controller a Domain Controller.

 

*** Thank you.

[Guest Meinolf Weber]

Re: How many Domain Controllers should I have?

 

Hello humour,

 

On both DC's run dcdiag and netdiag to check for errors. If you have errors

please post the complete output here. Also post an ipconfig from the DC/DNS

server and one client.

 

 

For 40 useraccounts 2 DC's are really enough, just make them redundant with

DNS/DHCP and Global catalog configuration

 

 

SQL is not recommended to run on a DC:

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/e/50ec0a69-d69e-4962-b2c9-80bbad125641/ReadmeSQL2005.htm

Scroll down to: 2.5.12 Installing SQL Server 2005 on a Windows Domain

Controller

 

 

http://www.pervasive.com/library/docs/psql/950/wgs/wgs-12-2.html

Scroll down to: Installation of Pervasive.SQL

 

 

So first you have to see about the SQL/Pervasive installation, before making

the server also a DC.

 

 

Best regards

 

Meinolf Weber

Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers

no rights.

** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

> My replies to your replies PREFIXED with ***

>

> "Meinolf Weber" wrote:

>

>> Hello humour,

>>

>> see inline

>>

>> Best regards

>>

>> Meinolf Weber

>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and

>> confers

>> no rights.

>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups

>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm

>>> A few questions about domain controllers.

>>>

>>> I have 3 servers in my network, 2 are domain controllers - 1 is 2003

>>> the other is 2000.

>>>

>>> q1) Is it good to have more than one domain controller?

>>>

>> YES, because of redundancy for the database where anything is stored

>> about users etc. Also think about to make the second DC a DNS server

>> with active directory integrated zones and DHCP server, split your

>> scope to both DHCP servers, to also have redundancy for this.

>> Additional it should be a Global catalog server.

>>

>>> q2) I recently restarted one of my servers, several of my users

>>> machines got a message the "trust relationship has been broken" <<

>>> something similar. I think this is indicating one of my servers is

>>> not properly authenticating users. Does this sound reasonable?

>>>

>> Please give some more info about your domain setup, are both servers

>> in one domain or different domains in one forest?

>>

> *** BOTH servers are in the same domain.

>

>>> q3) My 2003 server has been starting to fail, I bought a new one

>>> from

>>> Dell but I didnt make it a domain controller...

>>> should I make it a domain controller? If so why?

>> Depends on your needs, is it also Exchange server, then it is not

>> recommended to make it a DC. How may user accounts do you have?

>>

> *** 40 users accounts approximately

>

>>> Will it slow the server down? Its primary job is a database server

>>> for my accounting system.

>>>

>> What kind of database do you use? SQL or Oracle or another one?

>>

> ** Pervasive and SQL SERVER

>

>>> Thanks in advance.

>>>

>>> Humour

>>>

> **** Please Validate this, given that my original 2003 server is

> starting to fail I am inclined to make my new server a Domain

> Controller as well. Would you agree this is a good move.

>

> **** If you think I should please point me to an FAQ about how to make

> a server not already a domain controller a Domain Controller.

>

> *** Thank you.

>