how do I remove a DC from the Exchange, mentioned that GC was the main server uning all the FSMO but the FSMO are transferred to the new server. And the old DC has to be de-comissioned, so what is the best practices that Exchange should not look for any data on the old server.

Exchange running on the DC? Do you have more than on DC/GC. If Exchange is not running on the DC, you can perform DCPROMO command demote this server. It won’t affect any other services. Verify FSMO role server before you preform DCPROMO down process Netdom Query FSMO Santhosh Sivarajan | MCTS, MCSE (W2K3/W2K/NT4), MCSA (W2K3/W2K/MSG), CCNA, Network+ Houston, TX http://blogs.sivarajan.com/ http://publications.sivarajan.com/ This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

we have 4 servers now running Dc/GC. i'm decomissioning one by one and and finally want to have only 2 servers DC-01 and DC-02. As of now Exchange is installed on separate server which is a clustered servers. After transferring the roles from old server PDC to the new DC-01. I've ran the Netdom Query FSMO on the new server and it shows all the roles. so next step is to run the DCPROMO on the PDC server and to demote it. before i do that i want to make sure nothing gets screwed up or Exchange souldn't lose the GC and all the email databases.

running repadmin/showreps on EAI-DC-02 C:\Program Files\Support Tools>repadmin /showreps Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 DC Options: IS_GC Site Options: (none) DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 DC invocationID: 8ecaf289-6a85-40e0-aca1-d8ace358ea00 ==== INBOUND NEIGHBORS ====================================== DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-PDC via RPC DC object GUID: 43558c67-6377-4a69-a1a0-43e1257523d6 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:45 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 via RPC DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:51 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:55 was successful. CN=Configuration,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-PDC via RPC DC object GUID: 43558c67-6377-4a69-a1a0-43e1257523d6 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:41:31 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 via RPC DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:51 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:55 was successful. CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-PDC via RPC DC object GUID: 43558c67-6377-4a69-a1a0-43e1257523d6 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 15:56:57 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 via RPC DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:51 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:55 was successful. DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-PDC via RPC DC object GUID: 43558c67-6377-4a69-a1a0-43e1257523d6 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:13:12 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 via RPC DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:51 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:55 was successful. DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-PDC via RPC DC object GUID: 43558c67-6377-4a69-a1a0-43e1257523d6 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 15:56:57 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 via RPC DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:51 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-17 16:42:55 was successful. C:\Program Files\Support Tools> why it is still showing EAI-PDC? It should be EAI-DC-01 which the main server holding all FSMO. running repadmin/showreps on EAI-DC-01

Hi, For Transferring the FSMO role, I recommend you to have a look at the article below: How to view and transfer FSMO roles in Windows Server 2003 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324801 After we have transferred the FSMO role, we need to do some update related work. For the new PDCEmulator: w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:PEERS /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update With "PEERS" you can set the time source, either DNS name (time.windows.com) or an ip address from a reliable time source. Here you can find some of them: http://www.pool.ntp.org/ Reconfigure the previous PDCEmulator 2003: w32tm /config /syncfromflags:domhier /reliable:no /update After that run: net stop w32time net start w32time At last, please try to shut down the DC that you want to dismiss and then monitor if the entire network work properly. If the problem still persists, then I recommend you to post the issue in Windows server forum to get better help on tranferring Fsmo. Regards, Xiu

Thanks. I've done the above steps. Now i'll shutdown the server and see if everything goes fine next morning. how long do I need to keep it shutdown?

this is what i see now on EAi-DC-01 Event Type: Warning Event Source: NTDS Replication Event Category: Backup Event ID: 2089 Date: 5/18/2010 Time: 6:01:34 PM User: NT AUTHORITY\ANONYMOUS LOGON Computer: EAI-DC-01 Description: This directory partition has not been backed up since at least the following number of days. Directory partition: DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=eafg,DC=local 'Backup latency interval' (days): 30 It is recommended that you take a backup as often as possible to recover from accidental loss of data. However if you haven't taken a backup since at least the 'backup latency interval' number of days, this message will be logged every day until a backup is taken. You can take a backup of any replica that holds this partition. By default the 'Backup latency interval' is set to half the 'Tombstone Lifetime Interval'. If you want to change the default 'Backup latency interval', you could do so by adding the following registry key. 'Backup latency interval' (days) registry key: System\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters\Backup Latency Threshold (days) For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

Hi, Please try to use running repadmin/showreps again to ensure that you have correct replication. Troubleshooting Active Directory Replication Problems http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb727057.aspx Regards, Xiu

Open the Exchange Management Console -> Server Configuration -> Mailbox -> Select the name of your Exchange Server -> Right Click Properties Choose System Settings -> Check and see if it Displays the DC's & GC. It will give you an indication as to which DC & GC exchange is looking at.Ashwin Raj

as long as old PDC was shutdown Exchange Active Cluster didn't see it but it was therein Exchange Passie Cluster. Now I've turn-on the OLD-PDc and do the the demotion, will it affect any problem.?

result of repadmin C:\>repadmin /showreps Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-01 DC Options: IS_GC Site Options: (none) DC object GUID: bcc8b9f3-608e-48fc-a2bf-6fb481b2ada3 DC invocationID: 313a53a9-b6e8-4326-b4d7-c99fb0947eb6 ==== INBOUND NEIGHBORS ====================================== DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 via RPC DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 12:02:01 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 12:02:01 was successful. CN=Configuration,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 via RPC DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful. CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 via RPC DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful. DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:48:05 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 via RPC DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:48:10 was successful. DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=eafg,DC=local Default-First-Site-Name\EAI-DC-02 via RPC DC object GUID: 631c43be-51bd-4829-90e9-9ca06dc0e286 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful. Default-First-Site-Name\EAFG1 via RPC DC object GUID: 99f0c9ff-5e27-45eb-9fe8-fba45ff9b2c0 Last attempt @ 2010-05-20 11:46:34 was successful.

If you have transferred all the FSMO roles from the Old PDC to another Dc then it shouldn't be a problem. In case you face with a problem then you can run the Setup.com /p on the Exchange Server again. It should do it.Ashwin Raj

Yes, you can do that now. :) Regards, Xiu

yes it was done successfully.

Great.