17.

what is DFS & its usage

DFS is a distributed file system used to provide common environment for users to
access files and folders even when they are shared in different servers physically.
There are two types of DFS domain DFS and Stand alone DFS. We cannot provide
redundancy for stand alone DFS in case of failure. Domain DFS is used in a domain
environment which can be accessed by /domain name/root1 (root 1 is DFS root
name). Stand alone DFS can be used in workgroup environment which can be
accessed through /server name/root1 (root 1 is DFS root name). Both the cases we
need to create DFS root ( Which appears like a shared folder for end users) and DFS
links ( A logical link which is pointing to the server where the folder is physically
shared)
The maximum number of Dfs roots per server is 1.
The maximum numbers of Dfs root replicas are 31.
The maximum number of Dfs roots per domain is unlimited.
The maximum number of Dfs links or shared folders in a Dfs root is 1,000
18. what is RIS and what are its requirements
RIS is a remote installation service, which is used to install operation system
remotely.
Client requirements
PXE DHCP-based boot ROM version 1.00 or later NIC, or a network adapter that is
supported by the RIS boot disk.
Should meet minimum operating system requirements
Software Requirements
Below network services must be active on RIS server or any server in the network
Domain Name System (DNS Service)
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
Active directory Directory service
19. How many root replicas can be created in DFS
31
20. What is the difference between Domain DFS and Standalone DFS
Refer question 17.
High Level

1. Can we establish trust relationship between two forests

In Windows 2000 it is not possible. In Windows 2003 it is possible
2. What is FSMO Roles
Flexible single master operation (FSMO) roles are
Domain Naming Master
Schema Master
PDC Emulator
Infrastructure Master
RID Master
3. Brief all the FSMO Roles
Windows 2000/2003 Multi-Master Model
A multi-master enabled database, such as the Active Directory, provides the flexibility
of allowing changes to occur at any DC in the enterprise, but it also introduces the
possibility of conflicts that can potentially lead to problems once the data is replicated
to the rest of the enterprise. One way Windows 2000/2003 deals with conflicting
updates is by having a conflict resolution algorithm handle discrepancies in values by
resolving to the DC to which changes were written last (that is, "the last writer wins"),
while discarding the changes in all other DCs. Although this resolution method may
be acceptable in some cases, there are times when conflicts are just too difficult to
resolve using the "last writer wins" approach. In such cases, it is best to prevent the
conflict from occurring rather than to try to resolve it after the fact.
For certain types of changes, Windows 2000/2003 incorporates methods to prevent
conflicting
Active
Directory
updates
from
occurring.

Windows 2000/2003 Single-Master Model

To prevent conflicting updates in Windows 2000/2003, the Active Directory performs
updates to certain objects in a single-master fashion.
In a single-master model, only one DC in the entire directory is allowed to process
updates. This is similar to the role given to a primary domain controller (PDC) in
earlier versions of Windows (such as Microsoft Windows NT 4.0), in which the PDC
is responsible for processing all updates in a given domain.
In a forest, there are five FSMO roles that are assigned to one or more domain
controllers. The five FSMO roles are:
Schema Master:

The schema master domain controller controls all updates and modifications to the
schema. Once the Schema update is complete, it is replicated from the schema master
to all other DCs in the directory. To update the schema of a forest, you must have
access to the schema master. There can be only one schema master in the whole
forest.
Domain naming master:
The domain naming master domain controller controls the addition or removal of
domains in the forest. This DC is the only one that can add or remove a domain from
the directory. It can also add or remove cross references to domains in external
directories. There can be only one domain naming master in the whole forest.
Infrastructure Master:
When an object in one domain is referenced by another object in another domain, it
represents the reference by the GUID, the SID (for references to security principals),
and the DN of the object being referenced. The infrastructure FSMO role holder is the
DC responsible for updating an object's SID and distinguished name in a crossdomain object reference. At any one time, there can be only one domain controller
acting as the infrastructure master in each domain.
Note: The Infrastructure Master (IM) role should be held by a domain controller that
is not a Global Catalog server (GC). If the Infrastructure Master runs on a Global
Catalog server it will stop updating object information because it does not contain any
references to objects that it does not hold. This is because a Global Catalog server
holds a partial replica of every object in the forest. As a result, cross-domain object
references in that domain will not be updated and a warning to that effect will be
logged on that DC's event log. If all the domain controllers in a domain also host the
global catalog, all the domain controllers have the current data, and it is not important
which domain controller holds the infrastructure master role.
Relative ID (RID) Master:
The RID master is responsible for processing RID pool requests from all domain
controllers in a particular domain. When a DC creates a security principal object such
as a user or group, it attaches a unique Security ID (SID) to the object. This SID
consists of a domain SID (the same for all SIDs created in a domain), and a relative
ID (RID) that is unique for each security principal SID created in a domain. Each DC
in a domain is allocated a pool of RIDs that it is allowed to assign to the security
principals it creates. When a DC's allocated RID pool falls below a threshold, that DC
issues a request for additional RIDs to the domain's RID master. The domain RID
master responds to the request by retrieving RIDs from the domain's unallocated RID
pool and assigns them to the pool of the requesting DC. At any one time, there can be
only one domain controller acting as the RID master in the domain.
PDC Emulator:
The PDC emulator is necessary to synchronize time in an enterprise. Windows
2000/2003 includes the W32Time (Windows Time) time service that is required by
the Kerberos authentication protocol. All Windows 2000/2003-based computers

within an enterprise use a common time. The purpose of the time service is to ensure
that the Windows Time service uses a hierarchical relationship that controls authority
and does not permit loops to ensure appropriate common time usage.
The PDC emulator of a domain is authoritative for the domain. The PDC emulator at
the root of the forest becomes authoritative for the enterprise, and should be
configured to gather the time from an external source. All PDC FSMO role holders
follow the hierarchy of domains in the selection of their in-bound time partner.
In a Windows 2000/2003 domain, the PDC emulator role holder retains the following
functions:
Password changes performed by other DCs in the domain are replicated preferentially
to the PDC emulator.
Authentication failures that occur at a given DC in a domain because of an incorrect
password are forwarded to the PDC emulator before a bad password failure message
is reported to the user.
Account lockout is processed on the PDC emulator.
Editing or creation of Group Policy Objects (GPO) is always done from the GPO
copy found in the PDC Emulator's SYSVOL share, unless configured not to do so by
the administrator.
The PDC emulator performs all of the functionality that a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
Server-based PDC or earlier PDC performs for Windows NT 4.0-based or earlier
clients.
This part of the PDC emulator role becomes unnecessary when all workstations,
member servers, and domain controllers that are running Windows NT 4.0 or earlier
are all upgraded to Windows 2000/2003. The PDC emulator still performs the other
functions as described in a Windows 2000/2003 environment.
At any one time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the PDC emulator
master in each domain in the forest.
4. How to manually configure FSMO Roles to separate DCs
How can I determine who are the current FSMO Roles holders in my domain/forest?
Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory domains utilize a Single Operation Master method
called FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operation), as described in Understanding FSMO
Roles in Active Directory.
The five FSMO roles are:

Schema master - Forest-wide and one per forest.

Domain naming master - Forest-wide and one per forest.

RID master - Domain-specific and one for each domain.

PDC - PDC Emulator is domain-specific and one for each domain.

Infrastructure master - Domain-specific and one for each domain.

In most cases an administrator can keep the FSMO role holders (all 5 of them) in the same
spot (or actually, on the same DC) as has been configured by the Active Directory installation
process. However, there are scenarios where an administrator would want to move one or
more of the FSMO roles from the default holder DC to a different DC. The transferring
method is described in the Transferring FSMO Roles article, while seizing the roles from a
non-operational DC to a different DC is described in the Seizing FSMO Roles article.
In order to better understand your AD infrastructure and to know the added value that each
DC might possess, an AD administrator must have the exact knowledge of which one of the
existing DCs is holding a FSMO role, and what role it holds. With that knowledge in hand,
the administrator can make better arrangements in case of a scheduled shut-down of any
given DC, and better prepare him or herself in case of a non-scheduled cease of operation
from one of the DCs.
How to find out which DC is holding which FSMO role? Well, one can accomplish this task
by many means. This article will list a few of the available methods.
Method #1: Know the default settings
The FSMO roles were assigned to one or more DCs during the DCPROMO process. The
following table summarizes the FSMO default locations:
FSMO Role
Schema
Domain Naming
RID
PDC Emulator
Infrastructure

Number of DCs holding

this role
One per forest
One per forest
One per domain
One per domain
One per domain

Original DC holding the FSMO role

The first DC in the first domain in the
forest (i.e. the Forest Root Domain)
The first DC in a domain (any domain,
including the Forest Root Domain, any
Tree Root Domain, or any Child
Domain)

Method #2: Use the GUI

The FSMO role holders can be easily found by use of some of the AD snap-ins. Use this table
to see which tool can be used for what FSMO role:
FSMO Role
Schema
Domain Naming
RID
PDC Emulator
Infrastructure

Which snap-in should I use?

Schema snap-in
AD Domains and Trusts snap-in
AD Users and Computers snap-in

Finding the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Masters via GUI

To find out who currently holds the Domain-Specific RID Master, PDC Emulator, and
Infrastructure Master FSMO Roles:
1. Open the Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in from the Administrative
Tools folder.
2. Right-click the Active Directory Users and Computers icon again and press Operation
Masters.
3. Select the appropriate tab for the role you wish to view.
4. When you're done click Close.
Finding the Domain Naming Master via GUI
To find out who currently holds the Domain Naming Master Role:
1. Open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in from the Administrative Tools
folder.
2. Right-click the Active Directory Domains and Trusts icon again and press Operation
Masters.
3. When you're done click Close.
Finding the Schema Master via GUI
To find out who currently holds the Schema Master Role:
1. Register the Schmmgmt.dll library by pressing Start > RUN and typing:
2. Press OK. You should receive a success confirmation.
3. From the Run command open an MMC Console by typing MMC.
4. On the Console menu, press Add/Remove Snap-in.
5. Press Add. Select Active Directory Schema.
6. Press Add and press Close. Press OK.
7. Click the Active Directory Schema icon. After it loads right-click it and press
Operation Masters.
8. Press the Close button.
Method #3: Use the Ntdsutil command
The FSMO role holders can be easily found by use of the Ntdsutil command.
Caution: Using the Ntdsutil utility incorrectly may result in partial or complete loss of Active
Directory functionality.
1. On any domain controller, click Start, click Run, type Ntdsutil in the Open box, and
then click OK.
2. Type roles, and then press ENTER.

Note: To see a list of available commands at any of the prompts in the Ntdsutil tool, type ?,
and then press ENTER.
3. Type connections, and then press ENTER.
4. Type connect to server <servername>, where <servername> is the name of the
server you want to use, and then press ENTER.
5. At the server connections: prompt, type q, and then press ENTER again.
6. At the FSMO maintenance: prompt, type Select operation target, and then press
ENTER again.
At the select operation target: prompt, type List roles for connected server, and then press
ENTER again.
select operation target: List roles for connected server
Server "server100" knows about 5 roles
Schema - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
Domain - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
PDC - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
RID - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
Infrastructure - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
select operation target:
8. Type q 3 times to exit the Ntdsutil prompt.
Note: You can download THIS nice batch file that will do all this for you (1kb).
Another Note: Microsoft has a nice tool called Dumpfsmos.cmd, found in the Windows
2000 Resource Kit (and can be downloaded here: Download Free Windows 2000 Resource
Kit Tools). This tool is basically a one-click Ntdsutil script that performs the same operation
described above.
Method #4: Use the Netdom command
The FSMO role holders can be easily found by use of the Netdom command.
Netdom.exe is a part of the Windows 2000/XP/2003 Support Tools. You must either
download it separately (from here Download Free Windows 2000 Resource Kit Tools) or by
obtaining the correct Support Tools pack for your operating system. The Support Tools pack
can be found in the \Support\Tools folder on your installation CD (or you can Download
Windows 2000 SP4 Support Tools, Download Windows XP SP1 Deploy Tools).

1. On any domain controller, click Start, click Run, type CMD in the Open box, and then
click OK.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type netdom query /domain:<domain> fsmo
(where <domain> is the name of YOUR domain).
Close the CMD window.
Note: You can download THIS nice batch file that will do all this for you (1kb).
Method #5: Use the Replmon tool
The FSMO role holders can be easily found by use of the Netdom command.
Just like Netdom, Replmon.exe is a part of the Windows 2000/XP/2003 Support Tools.
Replmon can be used for a wide verity of tasks, mostly with those that are related with AD
replication. But Replmon can also provide valuable information about the AD, about any DC,
and also about other objects and settings, such as GPOs and FSMO roles. Install the package
before attempting to use the tool.
1. On any domain controller, click Start, click Run, type REPLMON in the Open box,
and then click OK.
2. Right-click Monitored servers and select Add Monitored Server.
3. In the Add Server to Monitor window, select the Search the Directory for the server to
add. Make sure your AD domain name is listed in the drop-down list.
4. In the site list select your site, expand it, and click to select the server you want to
query. Click Finish.
5. Right-click the server that is now listed in the left-pane, and select Properties.
6. Click on the FSMO Roles tab and read the results.
7. Click Ok when you're done.
How can I forcibly transfer (seize) some or all of the FSMO Roles from one DC to another?
Windows 2000/2003 Active Directory domains utilize a Single Operation Master method
called FSMO (Flexible Single Master Operation), as described in Understanding FSMO
Roles in Active Directory.
The five FSMO roles are:

Schema master - Forest-wide and one per forest.

Domain naming master - Forest-wide and one per forest.

RID master - Domain-specific and one for each domain.

PDC - PDC Emulator is domain-specific and one for each domain.

Infrastructure master - Domain-specific and one for each domain.

In most cases an administrator can keep the FSMO role holders (all 5 of them) in the same
spot (or actually, on the same DC) as has been configured by the Active Directory installation

process. However, there are scenarios where an administrator would want to move one or
more of the FSMO roles from the default holder DC to a different DC.
Moving the FSMO roles while both the original FSMO role holder and the future FSMO role
holder are online and operational is called Transferring, and is described in the Transferring
FSMO Roles article.
However, when the original FSMO role holder went offline or became non operational for a
long period of time, the administrator might consider moving the FSMO role from the
original, non-operational holder, to a different DC. The process of moving the FSMO role
from a non-operational role holder to a different DC is called Seizing, and is described in this
article.
If a DC holding a FSMO role fails, the best thing to do is to try and get the server online
again. Since none of the FSMO roles are immediately critical (well, almost none, the loss of
the PDC Emulator FSMO role might become a problem unless you fix it in a reasonable
amount of time), so it is not a problem to them to be unavailable for hours or even days.
If a DC becomes unreliable, try to get it back on line, and transfer the FSMO roles to a
reliable computer. Administrators should use extreme caution in seizing FSMO roles. This
operation, in most cases, should be performed only if the original FSMO role owner will not
be brought back into the environment. Only seize a FSMO role if absolutely necessary when
the original role holder is not connected to the network.
What will happen if you do not perform the seize in time? This table has the info:
FSMO Role
Schema

Loss implications
The schema cannot be extended. However, in
the short term no one will notice a missing
Schema Master unless you plan a schema
upgrade during that time.
Domain Naming
Unless you are going to run DCPROMO, then
you will not miss this FSMO role.
RID
Chances are good that the existing DCs will
have enough unused RIDs to last some time,
unless you're building hundreds of users or
computer object per week.
PDC Emulator
Will be missed soon. NT 4.0 BDCs will not be
able to replicate, there will be no time
synchronization in the domain, you will
probably not be able to change or troubleshoot
group policies and password changes will
become a problem.
Infrastructure
Group memberships may be incomplete. If
you only have one domain, then there will be
no impact.
Important: If the RID, Schema, or Domain Naming FSMOs are seized, then the original
domain controller must not be activated in the forest again. It is necessary to reinstall
Windows if these servers are to be used again.

The following table summarizes the FSMO seizing restrictions:

FSMO Role
Schema
Domain Naming
RID
PDC Emulator
Infrastructure

Restrictions
Original must be reinstalled
Can transfer back to original

Another consideration before performing the seize operation is the administrator's group
membership, as this table lists:
FSMO Role
Schema
Domain Naming
RID
PDC Emulator
Infrastructure

Administrator must be a member of

Schema Admins
Enterprise Admins
Domain Admins

To seize the FSMO roles by using Ntdsutil, follow these steps:

Caution: Using the Ntdsutil utility incorrectly may result in partial or complete loss of Active
Directory functionality.
1. On any domain controller, click Start, click Run, type Ntdsutil in the Open box, and
then click OK.
2. Type roles, and then press ENTER.
Note: To see a list of available commands at any of the prompts in the Ntdsutil tool, type ?,
and then press ENTER.
3. Type connections, and then press ENTER.
4. Type connect to server <servername>, where <servername> is the name of the
server you want to use, and then press ENTER.
5. At the server connections: prompt, type q, and then press ENTER again.
6. Type seize <role>, where <role> is the role you want to seize. For example, to seize
the RID Master role, you would type seize rid master:
Options are:
7. You will receive a warning window asking if you want to perform the seize. Click on
Yes.
fsmo maintenance: Seize infrastructure master
Attempting safe transfer of infrastructure FSMO before seizure.
ldap_modify_sW error 0x34(52 (Unavailable).

Ldap extended error message is 000020AF: SvcErr: DSID-03210300, problem 5002

(UNAVAILABLE)
, data 1722
Win32 error returned is 0x20af(The requested FSMO operation failed. The current FSMO
holde
r could not be contacted.)
)
Depending on the error code this may indicate a connection,
ldap, or role transfer error.
Transfer of infrastructure FSMO failed, proceeding with seizure ...
Server "server100" knows about 5 roles
Schema - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER200,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
Domain - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
PDC - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
RID - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER200,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net
Infrastructure - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=SERVER100,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-SiteName,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=dpetri,DC=net