Rebuilding a Domain Controller

[OUCATS]

Hello,
I will be soon taking on the challenge of doing a fresh install of W2K on my Domain Controller. This will be my first time actually rebuilding a DC with Active Directory so any tips/advise would be extrememly appreciated.

Some background:
The DC is configured for DNS, DHCP and Active Directory. I currently have a RAID 5 configuration that's running out of space. I have open bays, so I am going to purchase 2 or 3 more drives and I want to add them to the RAID array. But it's my understanding that if they drives were not configured as 'Dynamic' then I'll have to rebuild Windows after putting in the new drives.

So, if this is true, where do I start?? I know that I will have to backup all of our data, but what else would make the rebuild easier? Should I backup Active Directory, System State, etc??

If there are any good references or previous posts I would be happy to review them.

Thanks!!

 

[OUCATS]

Another Note:
I do have an additional server on the network. Could I promote that server to the DC and then wipe and reinstall on my primary server and then when I'm done, repromote the primary server back to the DC??? If so, would that also transfer the DNS and DHCP info??

Thanks!!

 

[PScottC]

Any decent RAID controller will allow you to install additional drives and create a new logical drive out of them. If you want to completely reconfigure your RAID, then yes, you do have to rebuild the system. What type of server / RAID controller are you using?

PSC

 

[pollux0]

I would recomend what you stated "promote that server to the DC and then wipe and reinstall on my primary server and then when I'm done, repromote the primary server back to the DC"

I did the same thing with our DC without a glitch!

dhcp should not be hard to reconfigure on another machine. just re-create the scopes.

I have never found a way to easily transfer dns zones from one computer to another without having to create the zones manually. I would recommend creating secondary zones(backup)dns on the second server. When all the dns data has transfered to the backup dns server, promote it to be the primary dns server.

 

[OUCATS]

The server is a pretty new Dell 4600 with a PERC-3 controller.

I have been doing some additional research on this and I have some new ideas. A W2K server book I have says that to have a multiple disks (such as RAID 5) then the disks have to be configured as DYNAMIC. So since the system came from Dell configured for RAID 5, then should the disks already be dynamic??

Another idea, how do volumes play into adding additional drives?? Even if the system will allow me to add additional drives, will the current volumes be able to see the new drive space??

 

[PScottC]

Utilize an AD integrated zone.

Install DNS on the second server before promoting as a DC and it will automatically transfer the AD integrated zone from the primary. Make sure to have the second server pointing at the first for DNS resolution during the promotion process, then after reboot, change DNS to point to itself.

Make sure that DHCP for the second server is Authorized in AD before performing this step:
For DHCP recreate the scope on the new server with the same settings. Stop the service on both servers. Copy the database files from the source (winnt\system32\dhcp) to second server. Restart the service. Your leases should come back properly, but reservations will be lost (if you have any).

Last, transfer FSMO roles to second server (all 5). Then you can demote your original server and rebuild.

Don't forget the little things like share names, logon scripts, etc...

PSC

 

[PScottC]

The PERC software should allow you to create an additional logical drive from the new drives you install. After you add them to the raid, they will show up in the disk management utility as an additional HD in your server. Partition and format the new drive like any other HD. Copy data to the new drive, recreate your shares, and you're ready to go.

Very little downtime is involved with this type of upgrade.

=====================
For Example....
You have 3 HD's in your server currently, the RAID controller has them set up in a RAID 5 config as 1 logical drive. When you look in the disk management tool, you see 1 HD (probably with multiple partitions, C:, D:, etc...)

You add 3 additional HD's to the system. Bring up the RAID software (install if not already installed). It will show the existing 3 drives (already configured) plus the 3 new drives waiting to be configured. Create an additional array (see your RAID Controller Software help) with the new drives in it.

PSC

 

[OUCATS]

I checked the drive configuration in the Disk Managment utility and here's the info:

Disk 0 (Virtual Disk)
Basic Disk
67.73 GB
Ready
Basic Group

Under the Virtual Disk there is:

Dell Utility Partition
31.35 MB FAT
Healthy
Basic Primary Partition

Dell Server (c
5.37 GB NTFS
Healthy (system)
Basic Primary Partition

New Volume (D ---> This is the bulk of our data
62.32 GB NTFS
Health (Page File)
Basic Logical Drive

The RAID5 array consists of 4 drives, one used as a hotspare and the other 3 used as the RAID array.

PScottC, if I'm understanding you correctly, you are saying to set the new drives up together as a new array (separate from the other array)?? Will this create 2 arrays, and would they both operating independently of each other? If so, this I wouldn't have one big array with all of my data on the same RAID 5 array, correct?

Thanks!

 

[PScottC]

Yup.... You'll end up with C:, D:, and F: (since your CDROM is probably Eand you'll have to move or split your data. Split is probably the easiest way. You know which data is growing quickly and which set of data is pretty static.

Move only what you need along with the file shares.

Imaging solutions, mail, and user data are the only things that I have found that grow relatively quickly. Network based apps, and shared data spaces tend not to grow very fast.

Your only conundrum here is, do you have enough drive bays to go this route? 3+ empty bays and you're set, otherwise.... sigh, the hard way.

PSC

 

[OUCATS]

PScottC, So what you have discribed would be the quick way to add space to the server. But what if I wanted to have one big array (using all 6 drives, with one hotspare)? Would I then have to backup everything up and start from scratch?

 

[PScottC]

Yes. See previous posts from pollux0 and I.

PSC