Problems on server 2003 - users cannot login

[Redfive]

Hi

 

We have a few problems with one of our servers, it is a Windows Server 2003 R2 server, a single domian and the only server on site. I havent been looking into this myself today but just got landed with it about an hour ago and am scratching my head.

 

No users can login and it seems like DHCP has lost the link to AD. DHCP has the red down arrow on and asks to be authorised but the option is Unauthorise, when I click that it does nothing and then when I click Authorise again it does nothing, still the red down arrow.

 

So far I am told DNS and DHCP have been reinstalled and the server rebooted. Can get into AD ok and no errors appear. Ill paste the errors we are getting below.

 

DCDIAG report:

 

Doing initial required tests

 

Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\SERVER

Starting test: Connectivity

The host 18cdef4b-****-46e9-ba69-11021d8db50f._msdcs.DOMAIN.local coul

d not be resolved to an

IP address. Check the DNS server, DHCP, server name, etc

Although the Guid DNS name

(18cdef4b-****-46e9-ba69-11021d8db50f._msdcs.DOMAIN.local) couldn't

be resolved, the server name (server.DOMAIN.local) resolved to the IP

address (10.**.**.2) and was pingable. Check that the IP address is

registered correctly with the DNS server.

......................... SERVER failed test Connectivity

 

Doing primary tests

 

Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\SERVER

Skipping all tests, because server SERVER is

not responding to directory service requests

 

Running partition tests on : ForestDnsZones

Starting test: CrossRefValidation

......................... ForestDnsZones passed test CrossRefValidation

 

Starting test: CheckSDRefDom

......................... ForestDnsZones passed test CheckSDRefDom

 

Running partition tests on : DomainDnsZones

Starting test: CrossRefValidation

......................... DomainDnsZones passed test CrossRefValidation

 

Starting test: CheckSDRefDom

......................... DomainDnsZones passed test CheckSDRefDom

 

Running partition tests on : Schema

Starting test: CrossRefValidation

......................... Schema passed test CrossRefValidation

Starting test: CheckSDRefDom

......................... Schema passed test CheckSDRefDom

 

Running partition tests on : Configuration

Starting test: CrossRefValidation

......................... Configuration passed test CrossRefValidation

Starting test: CheckSDRefDom

......................... Configuration passed test CheckSDRefDom

 

Running partition tests on : DOMAIN

Starting test: CrossRefValidation

......................... DOMAIN passed test CrossRefValidation

Starting test: CheckSDRefDom

......................... DOMAIN passed test CheckSDRefDom

 

Running enterprise tests on : DOMAIN.local

Starting test: Intersite

......................... DOMAIN.local passed test Intersite

Starting test: FsmoCheck

......................... DOMAIN.local passed test FsmoCheck

 

Also getting following errors in event log

 

APPLICATION

Event ID 1053 - Windows cannot determine the user or computer name. (Access is denied. ). Group Policy processing aborted.

 

SYSTEM

Event ID 1059 - The DHCP service failed to see a directory server for authorization.

 

DIRECTORY SERVICE

Event ID 1126 - Active Directory was unable to establish a connection with the global catalog.

 

Additional Data

Error value:

8430 The directory service encountered an internal failure.

Internal ID:

3200c89

 

User Action:

Make sure a global catalog is available in the forest, and is reachable from this domain controller. You may use the nltest utility to diagnose this problem.

 

DNS Server

Event ID 4000 - The DNS server was unable to open Active Directory. This DNS server is configured to obtain and use information from the directory for this zone and is unable to load the zone without it. Check that the Active Directory is functioning properly and reload the zone. The event data is the error code.

[Michael]

No wonder you're having problems. No Global Catalog basically means no domain. The Global Catalog is used to store every object in the domain. A data repository in other words.

 

Your best bet would be to perform a full restoration of your system drive C:\ and more importantly the System State. This should restore all services and the Global Catalog properly.

[ChrisH]

The global catalog only stores some of the information on each object in AD. It is more of a quick look up index that the actual AD object store . It is however very important as stated.

 

As the DNS has been reinstalled you should check under AD to see if the DC has registered itself properly and it's SRV records. Try a ipconfig /registerdns. It should have sone this automatically but you never know. Has DNS domain had the right settings eg AD integrated etc? It doesnt sound to good to me but there may be hope yet.

 

Check the steps taken with the DNS here

 

How to reinstall a dynamic DNS Active Directory-integrated zone

[Redfive]

Cheers, will try above tomorrow and if no joy will go ahead and do a system restore, lets hope they have backed up

[zhu]

no other method? restoring is not always a good idea.

[Michael]

no other method? restoring is not always a good idea.

 

Well realistically if the Global Catalog is missing or corrupt, how else can you solve the problem? For all I know Redfive may have 2,000 users on his/her server. Time wise (bearing in mind the domain is down), restoring from a backup would be the logical way forward.

 

In addition to speed and time, there's only one server in the domain, so Redfive doesn't have to worry about creating problems with other existing servers which could be part of the domain.

[bio]

agree with ChrisH here..

 

This maybe to simple but : have you tried to reactivate the Global Catalog function under AD sites and services ?

 

bio..