What can you do to promote a server to DC if you are on a remote location with slow WAN link?

Answer 1

First available in Windows 2003, you will create a copy of the system state from an existing DC and copy it to the new remote server. Run "Dcpromo /adv". You will be prompted for the location of the system state files

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Answer B:

Backup system state as;

1. Click Start, click Run, type ntbackup, and then click OK. (If the Backup utility starts in wizard mode, click the Advanced Mode hyperlink.)
2. From the Backup tab, click to select the System State check box in the left pane. Do not back up the file system part of the SYSVOL tree separately from the system state backup.
3. In the Backup media or file name box, specify the drive, path, and file name of the system state backup.

name the file .bak (recommended and general)

Restore system stat as below on the target computer;

1. Log on to the Windows Server 2003-based computer that you want to promote. You must be a member of the local administrators group on this computer.
2. Click Start, click Run, type ntbackup, and then click OK. (If the Backup utility starts in wizard mode, click the Advanced Mode hyperlink.)
3. In the Backup utility, click the Restore and Manage Media tab. In the Tools menu, click Catalog a backup file..., and then locate the .bkf file that you created earlier. Click OK.
4. Expand the contents of the .bkf file, and then click to select the System State check box.
5. In Restore files to:, click Alternate Location. To restore the system state, type the logical drive and the path. We suggest that you type X:\Ntdsrestore. In this command, X is the logical drive that will ultimately host the Active Directory database when the member computer is promoted. The final location for the Active Directory database is selected when you run the Active Directory Installation Wizard. This folder must be different from the folder that contains the restored system state.

Now Last stage is Promoting an additional domain controller

1. Verify that the domain controller that is to be promoted has DNS name resolution and network connectivity to existing domain controllers in the domain controller's target domain.
2. Click Start, click Run, type dcpromo /adv, and then click OK.
3. Click Next to bypass the Welcome to the Active Directory Installation Wizard and Operating System Compatibility dialog boxes.
4. On the Domain Controller Type page, click Additional domain controller for an existing domain, and then click Next.
5. On the Copying Domain Information page, click From these restored backup files:, and then type the logical drive and the path of the alternative location where the system state backup was restored. Click Next.
6. In Network Credentials, type the user name, the password, and the domain name of an account that is a member of the domain administrators group for the domain that you are promoting in.
7. Continue with the remainder of the Active Directory Installation Wizard pages as you would with the standard promotion of an additional domain controller.
8. After the SYSVOL tree has replicated in, and the SYSVOL share exists, delete any remaining restored system files and folders.

Regards,

Rizwan Ranjha

Network Engineer

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Answer 2

Take the system state backup of current Global Catalog server write/burn it on the CD send the CD to the destination ( remote location ) On the new server which needs to be promoted to be DC type dcpromo/adv on run then follow the steps. · click Run, type dcpromo /adv to open the Active Directory Installation Wizard with the option to create an additional domain controller from restored backup files. · On the Domain Controller Type page, click Additional domain controller for an existing domain, and then click Next. · On the Copying Domain Information page, can do any of the following steps: o Click From these restored backup files, and type or Browse to locate the restored files, and then click Next. · On the Network Credentials page, type the user name, password, and user domain of the user account you want to use for this operation, and then click Next.

The user account must be a member of the Domain Admins group for the target domain. · On the Database and Log Folders page, type the location in which you want to install the database and log folders, or click Browse to choose a location, and then click Next. · On the Shared System Volume page, type the location in which you want to install the Sysvol folder, or click Browse to choose a location, and then click Next. · On the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password page, type and confirm the password that you want to assign to the Administrator account for this server, and then click Next.

Use this password when starting the computer in Directory Services Restore Mode. Restart the computer.