Equivalent to PDC and BDC 1

[idsi]

Currently we are planning to have two new servers with Windows 2003 Server replacing the current windows NT which acts as a PDC and the other as a BDC.

What is the equvalent terms or names called for PDC and BDC in Windows 2003 or is it called by the same name.
How does the PDC and BDC or its equivalent is setup. Is it necessary that both needs AD to syncronize each other if i install AD in the PDC.

I am a newbie

 

[mlichstein]

Active Directory uses a multi-master model. This means that every domain controller (2000 or higher) in an Active Directory holds a read/write copy of the database. Any DC can be used to make changes to the database.

This is very different from the single-master model of an NT domain. The PDC was the only DC in the domain that held a read/write copy of the SAM database. BDCs a read-only replica of that database. Changes to the database (new users, password changes, etc), could only be made on the PDC. If the PDC is unavailable, users will be able to log on using the BDCs, but changes to the database will not be possible.

Even in a multi-master domain such as AD where all DCs are equals, there is still a need for a single master for some functions. In AD these are called the 5 Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles.

One of these roles is the PDC emulator. In a mixed mode Active Directory that still contains NT BDCs, it emulates an NT PDC so that the BDCs can replicate the database. When you remove all BDCs from Active Directory and change the mode to native mode, there is still a PDC emulator. When passwords are changed anywhere in the AD domain, that change is urgently replicated to the PDC emulator. When a user logs into a different DC, that DC will check with the PDC to see if there are any updated passwords.

I hope this helps. As you may imagine this is only a small amount of information about how AD works and how it is different from NT. Suffice it to say, it is VERY different. There are many good books on AD out there, and I suggest you pick some up.

 

[mlichstein]

To answer your question, in Active Directory, they are all called domain controllers.

 

[idsi]

Thanks for the Information.
I have never used DNS in windows NT
Now with Windows 2003 is it necessary to use DNS.
What is the equivalent or near name to that in Windows NT.
Why do we use it and what are its advantages.
I have a small network of less than 20 computers but is interested to use DNS if its usefull .

 

[mlichstein]

The closest thing to DNS in NT was WINS. WINS is a flat namespace, which was one of the limitations of NT.

Active Directory is a hierarchical design of forests, trees and domains. In order to have a hierarchical namespace, you must use DNS.