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Move DNS from PDC to BDC 1

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dschmootz

IS-IT--Management
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
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100
Location
US
Hi. I have demoted my PDC beacuse I want to wipe it and install 2000 stand alone server. Is there an easy way to get all the entries in the DNS to my other NT server, that I promoted to a PDC? Thanks.
 
Well, first install DNS then (re)service pack your new PDC, so it has an upto date version of DNS server installed.

Then you can do a number of things. First would be to stop the DNS service on both machines, and copy the \winnt\system32\dns directory across to the new DNS Server, then start the service (and see if that works - not sure if it will).

Alternatively, you can make the new DNS server a secondary master for each of your zones, get it to replicate the database from the primary, then shut down the primary and promote the secondary to a primary on all your zones.

Hope that helps. [auto] MCSE NT4/W2K
 
Many thanks, dhawthorn! I will try copying the dns directory first, and let you know how it goes.
 
Just a note with copying, you'll need to probably create those zones on the server, but once you do so hopefully those values from the old server will be "seen" on the new one. [auto] MCSE NT4/W2K
 
dhawthorn,

Hi. Copying the DNS directory didn't work, but it looks like your second suggestion worked great! I will know when I get to work today, after everything has replicated. Two more questions...if you don't mind. After I promote the new one to primary, do you think it's a good idea to then put DNS on my BDC as a secondary backup? Also, on my 2000 workstations, do you think it's better to leave the DNS as "automatic" or to point the workstations to the PDC (which will now have DNS)? Thanks for your help!

DON
 
dhawthorn,

Hi. The zones did copy over. I then shut down the primary server (I didn't demote to secondary), then I promoted the new DNS server to primary, stop/started DNS and it says "invalid data". Should I have DNS running on both, then demote the primary and promote the secondary? I wasn't sure what you meant when you said to shut down the primary. Thanks...in advance!
 
It should just promote - it will warn you about having two primaries, but that shouldn't matter.

Try it again, and see what happens. (Delete the existing zone on the new server, start up the old one again and create the secondary zone on the new server.) [auto] MCSE NT4/W2K
 
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