Can't Find PDC, not located

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Dave Mackler

2007-01-16 15:45:39 UTC

Servers are all Server2003, SP1. PDC had a hard crash. Could not recover,
had a second DC with DNS (AD Integrated) running in the same site so I
seized all the FSMO roles successfully.

Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully. Ran dcdiag /fix,
netdiag /fix, repadmin /kcc on all DC's. Cleaned up Sites and Services,
deleted all site links and waited for the kcc to re-establish. Reset static
TCP/IP properties is necessary. Reset DNS to delete the dead PDC from the
name servers list.

Now running dcdiag on the new PDC runs with no errors. Running repadmin
/showreps shows successful replication.

However. running dcdiag on the DC's in the other three sites passes all
tests except FSMOCheck. The error returned is:

Warning: DcGetDcName (PDC_Required) call failed, error 1355. A primary
Domain Controller could not be located The server holding the PDC role is
down.

Why can't the other DC's set the PDC to the correct DC that has that role??

dave

Harj

2007-01-16 16:33:40 UTC

Permalink

Hi,

I am worried about one thing here and it is as follows

Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully...

I don not see anything in your posting mentioning ntdsutil. Maybe it
is a wording thing, but what exactly do you mean by deleting? right
click object and delete? ( I hope not)
If you already did not, you will HAVE to perform a metadata cleanup to
remove the old DC from AD.
When you run netdom query fsmo on the other machines, who do they think
is hold the role? the old machine?
If that is the case it could be two things.. unsuccessful seize of the
roles, or replication issues.
What DNS server are the other DC's pointed to for primary?

How to remove data in Active Directory after an unsuccessful domain
controller demotion
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216498

Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain
controller
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504

Good luck

Harj Singh
Power Your Active Directory Investment
www.specopssoft.com

Servers are all Server2003, SP1. PDC had a hard crash. Could not recover,
had a second DC with DNS (AD Integrated) running in the same site so I
seized all the FSMO roles successfully.
Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully. Ran dcdiag /fix,
netdiag /fix, repadmin /kcc on all DC's. Cleaned up Sites and Services,
deleted all site links and waited for the kcc to re-establish. Reset static
TCP/IP properties is necessary. Reset DNS to delete the dead PDC from the
name servers list.
Now running dcdiag on the new PDC runs with no errors. Running repadmin
/showreps shows successful replication.
However. running dcdiag on the DC's in the other three sites passes all
Warning: DcGetDcName (PDC_Required) call failed, error 1355. A primary
Domain Controller could not be located The server holding the PDC role is
down.
Why can't the other DC's set the PDC to the correct DC that has that role??
dave

Dave Mackler

2007-01-16 16:40:19 UTC

Permalink

Harj,

Yes, I did run ntdsutil following the MS KB articles.

When I run netdom query fsmo on a DC that fails the FSMOCheck it correctly
returns all FSMO roles on the new PDC, including PDC. Also repadmin
/showreps correctly shows all replication from the new PDC.

Each DC only points to itself in DNS, no alternate is set.

dave

Ran repadmin /showreps on

Post by Harj
Hi,
I am worried about one thing here and it is as follows

Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully...

I don not see anything in your posting mentioning ntdsutil. Maybe it
is a wording thing, but what exactly do you mean by deleting? right
click object and delete? ( I hope not)
If you already did not, you will HAVE to perform a metadata cleanup to
remove the old DC from AD.
When you run netdom query fsmo on the other machines, who do they think
is hold the role? the old machine?
If that is the case it could be two things.. unsuccessful seize of the
roles, or replication issues.
What DNS server are the other DC's pointed to for primary?
How to remove data in Active Directory after an unsuccessful domain
controller demotion
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216498
Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain
controller
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504
Good luck
Harj Singh
Power Your Active Directory Investment
www.specopssoft.com

Servers are all Server2003, SP1. PDC had a hard crash. Could not recover,
had a second DC with DNS (AD Integrated) running in the same site so I
seized all the FSMO roles successfully.
Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully. Ran dcdiag /fix,
netdiag /fix, repadmin /kcc on all DC's. Cleaned up Sites and Services,
deleted all site links and waited for the kcc to re-establish. Reset static
TCP/IP properties is necessary. Reset DNS to delete the dead PDC from the
name servers list.
Now running dcdiag on the new PDC runs with no errors. Running repadmin
/showreps shows successful replication.
However. running dcdiag on the DC's in the other three sites passes all
Warning: DcGetDcName (PDC_Required) call failed, error 1355. A primary
Domain Controller could not be located The server holding the PDC role is
down.
Why can't the other DC's set the PDC to the correct DC that has that role??
dave

Harj

2007-01-16 18:20:20 UTC

Permalink

Hi,

Ok, on a DC that is failing as they are all pointed to themselfs open
up DNSmgmt and expand Forward Lookup Zones _msdcs."yourdomain", PDC,
TCP. What server name do we have in there?
The error message pretty much says it all "PDC_Required" meaning it
could not contact it.

Three things could be the issue here from what I see.

1. Roles were not seized successfully
2. Replication issues
3. Metadata was not performed completely. (add replication issues here
and we have a bit of mess)
4. DNS issue
Out of the above I have noticed more issues with 2, and 3.
When you did a metadata cleanup did you go through ADSIedit to remove
all instances of the old DC?
Did we go through DNS to remove ALL records of the old DC?
If these zones are not Active Directory integrated, make sure the zones
have the same information.

I personally point all my DC's to the PDC for primary and itself as
secondary DNS servers (Islanding is supposed to be resolved in W2K3 but
old habits stick) and end up setting up the zones as AD integrated.
flush and reregister DNS, stop and start the netlogon service on all
machines I made DNS changes on.
If you like, you can then point the DC's to themselfs for primary and
the PDC for secondary, but I tend to leave them pointed to one.

Good luck

Harj Singh
Power Your Active Directory Investment
www.specopssoft.com

Post by Dave Mackler
Harj,
Yes, I did run ntdsutil following the MS KB articles.
When I run netdom query fsmo on a DC that fails the FSMOCheck it correctly
returns all FSMO roles on the new PDC, including PDC. Also repadmin
/showreps correctly shows all replication from the new PDC.
Each DC only points to itself in DNS, no alternate is set.
dave
Ran repadmin /showreps on

Post by Harj
Hi,
I am worried about one thing here and it is as follows

Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully...

I don not see anything in your posting mentioning ntdsutil. Maybe it
is a wording thing, but what exactly do you mean by deleting? right
click object and delete? ( I hope not)
If you already did not, you will HAVE to perform a metadata cleanup to
remove the old DC from AD.
When you run netdom query fsmo on the other machines, who do they think
is hold the role? the old machine?
If that is the case it could be two things.. unsuccessful seize of the
roles, or replication issues.
What DNS server are the other DC's pointed to for primary?
How to remove data in Active Directory after an unsuccessful domain
controller demotion
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/216498
Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain
controller
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504
Good luck
Harj Singh
Power Your Active Directory Investment
www.specopssoft.com

Servers are all Server2003, SP1. PDC had a hard crash. Could not recover,
had a second DC with DNS (AD Integrated) running in the same site so I
seized all the FSMO roles successfully.
Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully. Ran dcdiag /fix,
netdiag /fix, repadmin /kcc on all DC's. Cleaned up Sites and Services,
deleted all site links and waited for the kcc to re-establish. Reset static
TCP/IP properties is necessary. Reset DNS to delete the dead PDC from the
name servers list.
Now running dcdiag on the new PDC runs with no errors. Running repadmin
/showreps shows successful replication.
However. running dcdiag on the DC's in the other three sites passes all
Warning: DcGetDcName (PDC_Required) call failed, error 1355. A primary
Domain Controller could not be located The server holding the PDC role is
down.
Why can't the other DC's set the PDC to the correct DC that has that role??
dave

Paul Bergson [MVP-DS]

2007-01-16 18:00:16 UTC

Permalink

From a command prompt run DCDIAG /V /C /D /E /s:yourdcname >
c:\dcdiag.log
Post dcdiag.log's results maybe there is something in it you are missing

On one the failed dc's from a command prompt run
netdiag /fix
--
Paul Bergson
MVP - Directory Services
MCT, MCSE, MCSA, Security+, BS CSci
2003, 2000 (Early Achiever), NT

http://www.pbbergs.com

Please no e-mails, any questions should be posted in the NewsGroup
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Post by Dave Mackler
Servers are all Server2003, SP1. PDC had a hard crash. Could not
recover, had a second DC with DNS (AD Integrated) running in the same site
so I seized all the FSMO roles successfully.
Deleted the original PDC from the network successfully. Ran dcdiag /fix,
netdiag /fix, repadmin /kcc on all DC's. Cleaned up Sites and Services,
deleted all site links and waited for the kcc to re-establish. Reset
static TCP/IP properties is necessary. Reset DNS to delete the dead PDC
from the name servers list.
Now running dcdiag on the new PDC runs with no errors. Running repadmin
/showreps shows successful replication.
However. running dcdiag on the DC's in the other three sites passes all
Warning: DcGetDcName (PDC_Required) call failed, error 1355. A primary
Domain Controller could not be located The server holding the PDC role is
down.
Why can't the other DC's set the PDC to the correct DC that has that role??
dave

Jorge Silva

2007-01-16 18:40:08 UTC

Permalink

Hi
when you do nslookup pdc._msdcs.yourdomain.tld returns the correct dc?
--
I hope that the information above helps you.
Have a Nice day.
Jorge Silva
MCSE

Jorge de Almeida Pinto [MVP - DS]

2007-01-16 21:01:59 UTC

Permalink

has the seizure of the FSMO roles already replicated to that DC?

what is returned when executing:
NETDOM QUERY FSMO
--
Cheers,
(HOPEFULLY THIS INFORMATION HELPS YOU!)

# Jorge de Almeida Pinto # MVP Windows Server - Directory Services

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