Preparation for DC failure - restore AD

[lacasa]

I have one DC with 30 clients. From reading I find if my hardware fails, recovery will be complex since hardware will be different. My current DC has hardware RAID 1 with 80GB drives, a system, application, and data partition. Money is limited.

Am I making more of this change of hardware recovery procedure?

For a small domain like this, would it be simpler to just replace hardware or buy new server, install Win2k or Win2003, setup new domain (use same name), restore data files without security and simply start over and setup permissions and rejoin computers to domain. Sounds nuts and a lot of work, but maybe a better solution.

Or should I find a basic PC, install Win2k Server and use this for replication of AD just for backup purposes? I need to read more about this. This sounds like the best. Any suggestions or recommended reading on this?

Thanks.

 

[adcfaq]

not that hard. for AD redandency, u just need 2 DCs, that's it.

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Directory Services/Exchange Consultant

 

[lacasa]

Would I need another Microsoft licence for the second server?

Would data be replicated as well or do I restore data from backup to second DC or use the failed DC's hard drive in backup DC?

Thanks.

 

[adcfaq]

bes tpractice , no single point of failure, regardless of the size of your AD, 2DCs are min, yes, u need extra windows server license.

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Directory Services/Exchange Consultant

 

[lacasa]

I currently have Win2k Server installed with license. I also have SBS2000/2003 (Software Assurance upgraded to 2003) which I intended to install because of exchange. Therefore I do currently have two licenses. Because I work for a non-profit I can also buy WinServer 2003 for $40. Unfortunately from what I understand with SBS you can only have one DC?

If I avoided SBS then would DC's have to be both 2000 or both 2003 for replication?

How do SBS owners avoid having that single point of failure??

Thanks again.

 

[adcfaq]

oh, u are SBS, emmmmmm!
right, only one DC allowed, in that case, the contigigency plan is pretty much depending on Backup.

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Directory Services/Exchange Consultant

 

[lacasa]

Actually I'm Win2K Server only now. I had a plan to go SBS due to Exchange. But since I can get Exchange standalone and Server 2003 standalone including 30 CAL's for less than $200, it might be the better way to go.

Thanks for your help.

 

[lacasa]

Obviously I will need to read more on this, but the best way to prepare is to add another DC.

Install Win2k Server on another box.

Run DCPROMO - it will be second server in domain.

AD should be replicated automatically.

Anything else or recommended reading?

Thanks for help.

 

[adcfaq]

no, as long as u have 2 DCs, u are covered. 'coz you are alway free to seize FSMO if the first DC fails.

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Directory Services/Exchange Consultant

 

[nsanto17]

One other thing I would do is to install DNS on the second DC. Then configure your DHCP server to have that IP as a secondary DNS Server so if you do have a crash for some reason then the users will not show any down time on the internet.