Designating a standby operations master
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
A standby operations master is a domain controller that you identify as the computer that assumes the operations master role if the original computer fails. A single domain controller can act as the standby operations master for all of the operations master roles in a domain, or you can designate a separate standby for each operations master role.
No utilities or special steps are required to designate a domain controller as a standby operations master. However, the current operations master and the standby should be well connected. This means that the network connection between them must support at least a 10-megabit transmission rate and be available at all times. In addition, configure the current role holder and the standby as direct replication partners by manually creating a Connection object between them.
Configuring a replication partner can save some time if you must reassign any operations master roles to the standby operations master. Before transferring a role from the current role holder to the standby operations master, ensure that replication between the two computers is functioning properly. Because they are replication partners, the new operations master is as updated as the original operations master, thus reducing the time required for the transfer operation.
During role transfer, the two domain controllers exchange any unreplicated information to ensure that no transactions are lost. If the two domain controllers are not direct replication partners, a substantial amount of information might need to be replicated before the domain controllers completely synchronize with each other. The role transfer requires extra time to replicate the outstanding transactions. If the two domain controllers are direct replication partners, fewer outstanding transactions exist and the role transfer operation completes sooner.
Designating a domain controller as a standby also minimizes the risk of role seizure. By making the operations master and the standby direct replication partners, you reduce the chance of data loss in the event of a role seizure, thereby reducing the chances of introducing corruption into the directory.
When you designate a domain controller as the standby, follow all recommendations that are discussed in Guidelines for Role Placement in Introduction to Administering Operations Master Roles. To designate a standby for the forest-level roles, choose a global catalog server so it can interact more efficiently with the domain naming master. To designate a standby for the domain-level roles, ensure that the domain controller is not a global catalog server so that the infrastructure master continues to function properly if you must transfer the roles.
Task Requirements
The following tools are required to perform the procedures for this task:
Active Directory Sites and Services
Repadmin.exe
To complete this task, perform the following procedures: