Changing IP addresses of DC's and DNS Servers

[Jawloms]

Hiya,

 

This involves two servers, one on Server 2003 and one on Server 2008 so I wasn't sure where to put this;

 

I think this should work but wanted to check before I did it and well and truely ballsed things right up!

 

We have a Domain Controller (Server 2003) which is also our first DNS server with IP address x.x.1.1. I have built a new server (Server 2008) with IP address x.x.1.3 which is also a DNS server. The aim for the first server is to replace it as it's old, but this is a school so instead it will just get a bit of memory, formatted and re-installed. Can I dcpromo it to demote it and then remove it from the domain, then simply change the IP address of the second server to x.x.1.1 (as per Change the static IP address of a domain controller: Active Directory) and expect everything, including DNS, to be ticker-t-boo?

 

I wouldn't actually demote it and remove it from the domain whilst testing things, I'd just shut it down, but in the end obviously it would need removing properly.

 

Thank you very much

 

Stuart

[soveryapt]

From my understanding of it all, so long as your new server is set up correctly for DNS and DHCP, it doesn't really matter what the IP address is. Do you use the server for DHCP too? If so, just name the DNS servers in the scope in there (or name them in whatever you do use for DHCP) with the new IP address and all will be ok ..

 

I have 2 servers at my school, one of which runs most of the things, but the old one runs some bits to remove some of the work load, the new one runs the DNS / DHCP / etc, but should that fall over, I have a scope set on the old one which I can just turn on and it will then make sure that the machines see the old server as the DNS ..

[Jawloms]

It doesn't deal with DHCP. We have a dozen or so things on our network with the DNS servers statically defined so I figured that this would be the best way to sort things with less of a risk of forgetting one and something not working.

[Ric_]

Just to confirm.. you will be running BOTH servers as DCs for a week or so to make sure everything replicates? Also grab Ultrasound from MS which will make sure you have no replication problems.

 

Personally, I would just change the static DNS entries... it's tempting fate to start chaning the IPs of DCs and DNS servers!

[Jawloms]

(Probably should have mentioned) We have another DC on the network too so everything should replicate from that one I'd hope. I'll take a look at Ultrasound, thanks

[plexer]

I wouldn't change the ip address to one which used to belong to another DC.

[Jawloms]

I wouldn't change the ip address to one which used to belong to another DC.

 

Why not? Please don't take that as me challenging what you're saying - I don't know and would like to.

[edutech4schools]

I changed the iP on a DC in vmware and it all went pete-tong. good old vmware, copy paste, working.

[kevin_lane]

i don't think its quite that simple as just changing the ip address of the dc as you have pointer records and ldap records as well as SOA if it was me i would just leave the old dc intact and install a windows 2008 server change the role of the 2008 to dc + install dns then move the roles over from the first dc in the domain / forest to the new 2008 and depending on what you want to do is either have it as native or just leave it in a mix mode as long plus make sure that replication is still happening