Domain Master Browser - ISDOMAINMASTER - what to set this?

Hi,
I have about 5 dc's and 40 member servers, plus a couple hundred xp clients
I get alot of errors about machines promoting themselves to be the master
browser and also a machine thinks another is the master browser.

I believe they are 8003 srxmb errors.

I started looking around the net and found a ton of information but nothing
to really define what I should do. i looked on the dc - all of them are 2003
dc's by the way- and the dc that has the pdc emulator role has the
ISDOMAINMASTER reg key set to FALSE. I changed that to TRUE.
Now what about the rest of the dc's and member servers?
Is it advised to turn off the computer browser service on all member servers
and clients except for a few that we are fine with letting become backup
browsers?
if they are going to be backup browsers do we need to change the
ISDOMAINMASTER key to TRUE, AUTO< or FALSE?

IsDomainMaster should be auto. The PDCe will hold the role of master
browser for the domain. You can hard code it on the PDCe if you so wish.
You shouldn't set it to "true" anywhere else though.

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net

Thanks,
what about disabling the service on xp clients? Will they lose My Network
Places functions?

"Paul Williams [MVP]" wrote:

> IsDomainMaster should be auto. The PDCe will hold the role of master
> browser for the domain. You can hard code it on the PDCe if you so wish.
> You shouldn't set it to "true" anywhere else though.
>
> --
> Paul Williams
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
> http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net
>
>
>

If you disable the service, yes. If you just stop them from participating
in elections (via reg key) then no.

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net

Thanks, so the ISDOMAINMASTER key when set on the dc with the pdc emulator
role really won't change anything as that is the browser master by default?
Then if set to auto other servers will act as backups?

So for clients what is the recommendation? Should I send out a gpo with the
FALSE key set? Should I change the keep server list key?

Basically I am having machines promote themselves, etc. How do I fix that?

"Paul Williams [MVP]" wrote:

> If you disable the service, yes. If you just stop them from participating
> in elections (via reg key) then no.
>
> --
> Paul Williams
> Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
> http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net
>
>
>

I'm on my way to the airport, so can't find the keys and info. that you
need. I recommend that you read this:
--
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...us/default.asp


All the info. is in there.

Sorry if that isn't much help!

--
Paul Williams
Microsoft MVP - Windows Server - Directory Services
http://www.msresource.net | http://forums.msresource.net