Server 2008 joining domain

[Aaron]

Hi everyone

 

hoping someone can give me an answer to this. Recently i have added a backup server for Active directory onto my network but the problem i am having is now i have the server working, i have installed server 2008 standard and done all the updates havent added active directory or anything but i have been trying to join our domain.

 

My problem now is that i have set all the IP settings and DNS settings i have pinged the main server and also checked ipconfig /all and checked that the DNS settings are right which they are but when i try to join the domain i get an error that the server cannot check the DNS settings are right on the main server.

 

I have tried uninstalling the NIC and reinstalling and also tried switching off the firewall but still cannot join the domain. The new server can see the main server under network but its showing a on a workgroup and not the domain. The new server can also access the internet with no problems just seems to be when i try to add it onto my Domain. I have also check under active directory and have created an account for the server and just called it WCB-DC02. Do i need to install the active directory role so that this will replicate from server 1 over to this DC02? i was waiting until the server had connected to the domain before doing this is that right?

 

thank you in advance.

[Aaron]

the error message i am getting is:

 

"The following error occurred attempting to join the domain

 

An attempt to resolve the DNS name of a DC in the doamin being joined has failed. Please verify this client is configured to reach a DNS server that can resolve DNS names in the target domain. "

 

my main server is AD, DHCP, DNS, Print server, AV server, file server and i did have a 2nd server which would replicate active directory but it ran out of storage so i added this new server on and give it the same IP address as the old and also the same name as the old server which is off completley.

 

hope this helps in solving this problem really dont know what it is ive done wrong because all clients join the domain with no problems when i am doing a rebuild.

[imiddleton25]

have you checked the firewalls on new server , i have been caught out on server 2008 by this becuase i have GP on 2003 to disable it so always forget to check

[jamesreedersmith]

Have you done adprep for a 2008 domain controller? Edited September 13, 2010 by jamesreedersmith
ETA - Correct Terminolgy

[Aaron]

hi imiddleton25 yes i switched the firewall off completley on the new server.

 

Jamesreedersmith no thats something i didnt do now so i do this on the new WCB-DC02 server before joining to the domain

[jamesreedersmith]

No youll need to do it on the exsisting dc - depending on whether your exsisting server is 32 0r 64 bit will depend on whether you can use the 2008 install disk or if you need to download the trial 32bit 2008 disk to get to the 32 bit adprep file.

 

Windows Server 2008 ADPREP

[Aaron]

my exsisting domain is 32bit server 2008 and its the same for the new server as well.

[Aaron]

so this needs to be run on my main server (server 2008 32bit standard) to allow for another server (server 2008 32bit standard) to be included as another domain controller all allow replication of the active directory? could this be the reason the server wont join the domain at the moment

[jsnetman]

I think this problem may be the fact that you had a second server before you installed the server 08. Did you do a meta clean up of the old server i.e removing all mention of it in sites and services and seizing all roles onto the remaining server. If you have not done this AD will be saying you can't join the domain as server2 name already exist in AD sort of speaking. I don't think you have to run adprep if you are just joining the domain with server 2008, yes if you want to make it a DC. Edited September 13, 2010 by jsnetman

[MYK-IT]

Sounds like you've got a multitude of problems, possibly by pre-existing problems.

 

If I've read your post correctly, you originally had 2 Servers acting as Domain Controllers, but you only have 1 as the other ran out of storage space.

 

Did you correctly demote and remove the 2nd server that had run out of space before unplugging for good?

 

If redundant server not available, then some guides are here:

 

Removing a Domain Controller from a Domain

 

How to remove data in Active Directory after an unsuccessful domain controller demotion

 

Forcing the removal of a Windows Server 2008 domain controller

 

Before even trying to get the newer server onto domain (and premote to a Domain Controller) if you configure as DHCP does it get allocated a correct IP address and ping the Domain Controller etc? If works OK, then manual configure a valid static IP address (a different one from that of the old server WCB-DC02)

 

Another issue I see is that you have named the new server the same as the old 2nd Domain Controller, and if you didn't correctly demote and remove that server settings still exist for it.

 

You could name the new server to a different name, say WCB-DC03. Reboot and try and add the server to the domain. Let this process create the computer account. If successful, the server will now be a member server.

 

You can then adprep to update the schema for Windows 2008 (if not already a windows 2008 domain already!) and to promote to an AD Domain Controller.

 

adprep /forestprep

adprep /domainprep

 

 

Note:

Did try to post last night but got locked out, and 15mins lock was still activated after 30mins+!!

[Aaron]

that was it exactly i never properly demoted the previous server and yes i have called this one exactly the same and given it the same IP as the other server is no longer available on the network at all. I was reading that if i log onto the main server and delete the old server from active directory with it being server 2008 it should remove all info about the old server which i have done this morning but for some reason still get the same error message when trying to join the new one to the domain.

 

is there no way that i will be able to give this new serve the same details ie Name and IP address as the old server?

[Aaron]

i tried the forcing removal of domain controller first thing this morning hoping that it would clean up any metadata but it still doesnt allow me to add the new server to the domain with the old servers name and ip.

 

It is a 2008 domain the old server had 2008 on it as well

[jsnetman]

Yes you can, you just have to follow the advice already given to you. MYK-IT even provided the links for you.

[Aaron]

i have used the adive that MYK-It and yourself have given me and read over the links for removeal of a domain controller the first two links would be great if the old server worked at all as i cannot switch it back on now with no respone i did a force removeal of the old dc rebooted the server checked that i could get an IP address from DHCP and then changed it to a static IP address but when i go to add the server (with no roles) onto the domain i am landed with the same message about DNS i also tried naming the server WCB-DC03 and changing the IP address to a different static value then adding onto the network but still get the same DNS message error Edited September 14, 2010 by Aaron

[Aaron]

I have changed the name of the server to WCB-DC03 and given it a different IP address from the previous old server but i am still getting this "An attempt to resolve the DNS name of a DC in the domain being joined has failed. Please verify this client is configured to reach a DNS server that can resolve DNS names in the target domain." everytime i try to add it to the domain.

 

All info on previous server has been removed from sites and services and also all info in active directory Domain controllers so there shouldnt be any information on the previous server left (hopefully).

[jsnetman]

The middle link is what you have to follow. You do not perform this on the old server, you do it on the remaining server. Also there are sections which deal with what service pack you are currently at on the remaining server. Although you saying you have tried to join with a different name suggests a DNS issue, or you have not seized the roles needed. Have a look on google about how to seize roles on a 2003 based domain. If you have seized the roles and performed the meta data cleanup it will definately be DNS problems. Edited September 14, 2010 by jsnetman

[jsnetman]

I would also think at the moment you would not be able to join a workstation to the domain.

[Aaron]

Guys thank you for all your help whats happened now when i changed the address for the DNS server to point to the IP of the server it has now allowed me to join the school domain.

[Aaron]

now that it has joined the domain i am able to change the name back to the old server and i am going to try and change the IP address back thanks for all your help guys

[Aaron]

everything worked great guys i was able to change back to original name and IP settings and add as a domain controller in an exsisting domain should i also select DNS server tick box if i already have the main server as the DNS does this just replicate DNS settings incase the main server should crash?

 

I have got the Global catalog selected but not sure about the DNS sever if my main server is already the DNS do i just untick this then

[Aaron]

because there is a working DNS server on the main server i have just set the backup server as a Global catalog server and its configuring active directory domain services at the moment really thank you for all your suggestions with getting this working again.

[jsnetman]

We have 2 domain controllers here and both have DNS. You can have one or 2, 2 being you have more redundancy if the other fails. It won't do any harm to install the second as a DNS server and is recommended.

[Aaron]

if i was going about adding another server onto the domain but not as a domain controller but talks sake to look after the antivirus and printing would i just add this server to the domain as say WCB-MM01 or something dont install active directory onto it just the antivirus and print server?

 

am i adding the server then as a member server i dont fully understand?