How many Domain Controllers should I have?

[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

[Meinolf Weber]

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
>

[humour]

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.

[Meinolf Weber]

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/downlo...dmeSQL2005.htm
Scroll down to: 2.5.12 Installing SQL Server 2005 on a Windows Domain
Controller


http://www.pervasive.com/library/doc.../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.
>