Login Scripts Location?

[jwilder]

I have recently added a couple BDC's to my domain. In my user manager I have a template for creating user accounts the points to a .BAT file in my netlogon share that processes everytime a user logs in. Each time I've added a BDC, the 'login' process will look in the netlogon share of the BDC rather than on the PDC. If the file hasn't propogated to the BDC, I'll have to manually copy it there or users don't process logins correctly and won't see their drive shares.

Any ideas as to why this is taking place? Why the my netlogon shares don't propogate? Is there something I may not be aware of?

Advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Jason Wilder
IT/CAD Manager

 

[Voyager1]

By default, NT will look for login scripts in the NETLOGON share of the domain controller that authenticated the user. You should be using the replication service to propogate your login scripts to all of your DCs. It doesn't hap[pen by default - you have to set it up...

Let us know if you need help setting replication up... - Bill

"You can get anything you want out of life, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar

 

[Huffy]

If you have a certain server that will be handling your scripts you will need to set up replication from that server to all of the other netlogon servers that you will have. You can set this up by going to server manager and selecting replication and choosing which server will replicate to the others.

 

[jwilder]

Ok, I can take a stab at the replication. I don't see that as being too difficult.

That is why I made this post... I understand that the script will run from the authenticating server, but does that mean my domain will randomly pick the PDC or either BDC? Or does authentication take place on the server where the user account originated? In this case ALL accounts orginated on the PDC, yet the login is looking to the BDC's? Can I or do I control this?

Thank you for your responses. Jason Wilder
IT/CAD Manager

 

[Voyager1]

All accounts will always originate on the PDC. The BDCs only hold backup read-only copies of the SAM database. You really have no control over which domain controller authenticates a user.

When an NT workstation attaches to the network, it checks with WINS to find the IP address of a domain controller. WINS will give it all domain controllers. The authentication request gets sent to all of the DCs, and the first one to respond validates the user. This is how the authentication process "load balances" the domain controllers.

Hope this helps - Bill

"You can get anything you want out of life, if you'll just help enough other people get what they want" - Zig Ziglar