Updating/replacing Primary Domain Controller

[Neilski]

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this. To answer your questions:

If I open a command window on the new DC I can ping, IP address, computer name and fqdn of the old DC.

Yes, first I joined the domain as a member server (via the properties of 'Computer' on the new DC, then changing from Workgroup to the domain).

Yes, when I ran DCPROMO, I specified only the IP address of the old DC as the DNS. Once promoted, I added the new DC IP address as the secondary DNS source.

Please explain where I need to go to view the DNS zones (and on what server). If I open the DNS Mnagement Console on the old DC I only see the original DC (Primus). Screen shot attached.

If I open the Network browser on a Vista PC on the network, whilst I can see the new DC (Zeus) it doesn't present Sysvol, Netlogin (just a folder that a shared). I can see the Sysvol. Netlogin on the old DC (Primus). See screen shot.

[Neilski]

I'm not sure if the following helps/is relevant, but I am seeing the following repeated warnings in the new DC's Event Log...

/******************************************************************/
/* DNS */
/******************************************************************/
Log Name: DNS Server
Source: Microsoft-Windows-DNS-Server-Service
Date: 29/03/2009 18:58:47
Event ID: 4013
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Zeus.abl.local
Description:
The DNS server is waiting for Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to signal that the initial synchronization of the directory has been completed. The DNS server service cannot start until the initial synchronization is complete because critical DNS data might not yet be replicated onto this domain controller. If events in the AD DS event log indicate that there is a problem with DNS name resolution, consider adding the IP address of another DNS server for this domain to the DNS server list in the Internet Protocol properties of this computer. This event will be logged every two minutes until AD DS has signaled that the initial synchronization has successfully completed.


/******************************************************************/
/* File Replication Service */
/******************************************************************/
Source: NtFrs
Date: 29/03/2009 19:08:26
Event ID: 13508
Task Category: None
Level: Warning
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Zeus.abl.local
Description:
The File Replication Service is having trouble enabling replication from PRIMUS to ZEUS for c:\windows\sysvol\domain using the DNS name primus.abl.local. FRS will keep retrying.
Following are some of the reasons you would see this warning.

[1] FRS can not correctly resolve the DNS name primus.abl.local from this computer.
[2] FRS is not running on primus.abl.local.
[3] The topology information in the Active Directory Domain Services for this replica has not yet replicated to all the Domain Controllers.

This event log message will appear once per connection, After the problem is fixed you will see another event log message indicating that the connection has been established.

[Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]]

Hello Neilski,

DNS zones should be viewable on all DNS servers and have the same content.
All doamin machines has to be listed in the zones, DNS servers also with
the Name server record.

If you mark the forward/reverse lookup zones in DNS management console you
can see in the right pane the kind of zone you are using. When you use DC's
also for DNS, in a domain i prefer this way, make them AD integrated, so
all DNS servers are writable and all will be replicated with AD also to the
other DC/DNS servers.

The sysvol and netlogon share should be accessable on the DC's first, do
not use network browsing. Under c:\windows\sysvol and deeper in the folder
level you find the "sysvol" share and the shared scripts folder, which is
"netlogon". They are must all be there and accessable. Also the content on
both DC's of them must be the same.

Best regards