Problem promoting DC over PPTP

[Coorisnar]

Scenario:
My client has a Win2k SBS production server. It is running fine.
They are now looking at putting another server offsite for redundancy purposes. Their intention is to have it as a second domain controller, in case the main one crashes.

I have the second server up and running with Win2k SBS on it. Currently I am trying to promote it for use in the domain.

Following the instructions from the MicrosoftTechNet article "Active Directory Replication over Firewalls", I have setup the PPTP tunnel to connect the two servers.

However, when it comes time to run DCPROMO, it keeps saying that the domain controller for the intended domain cannot be found.

I have tried a number of things, including demoting the new server and then trying to join it to the domain over the PPTP tunnel (got the same sort of error that it couldn't find the domain controller), with the intention of promoting it after it was on the domain.

I realize you will more information to sort this out.

TIA

 

[Andreh]

SBS server will not let you have another DC in it's domain. It is by design.

"Assumption is the mother of all f#%kups!

 

[Coorisnar]

Wonderful. Well that's the end of that then. And I guess I'll chalk all the hours spent up to a learning investment.

 

[Andreh]

Sorry to be so blunt. SBS 2003 is a great product, but it's single point of failure is a pain definitely. I have seen i cost alot of customers alot in down time when things need to be done.

If you have a server with hot swap mirrored OS disk (HP etc), then perhaps you could eject a disk and store it offsite and have a server ready to go.

Goodluck

"Assumption is the mother of all f#%kups!