Demoting the Last Windows Server 2003 Beta 3 DC in a Domain or Forest with RC1 DCs May Remove Program Partitions (324826)
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Enterprise Edition
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003, 64-Bit Datacenter Edition
This article was previously published under Q324826 SYMPTOMS If you demote a domain controller that is running the Beta
3 (build 3590) prerelease version of Windows Server 2003 in a domain or forest
that contains domain controllers that are running Windows Server 2003 RC1 (or
later), you may have to delete a program folder partition on the domain
controller. This condition may exist even if the domain controller that is
running Beta 3 is not the last domain controller in the domain or forest that
hosts program folder partitions. CAUSE This issue is caused by a modification that Microsoft made
to Windows Server 2003-based domain controllers to preserve program
compatibility with Microsoft Exchange and other Active Directory-aware
programs. Starting with RC1, the hasMasterNcs attribute is modified under the
NTDS Settings object on Windows Server 2003-based domain controllers not to
list the program folder partitions that are hosted by that domain controller as
Beta 3-based domain controllers do. Instead, starting with Windows Server 2003
RC1 Server, the program folder partitions are listed under the NTDS Settings
object in the msDS-HasMasterNCs attribute .
This change may cause the
last Beta 3-based domain controller to incorrectly interpret itself as the last
domain controller in a domain or forest that hosts a program partition. Because
DNS program partitions are created during default installations, DNS partitions
will be the most common partitions present in domain and forest-wide program
partitions. RESOLUTION This condition is temporary. The issue will be resolved
after you upgrade all domain controllers to RC1. Deployments that start with
RC1 or later are not affected. WORKAROUND Upgrade the Beta 3-based domain controller to Windows
Server 2003 RC1 before you demote the domain controller. MORE INFORMATION Program folder partitions are automatically created by a
DNS server that runs on any Beta-based or RC-based version of the Windows
Server 2003 family.
If a program folder partition is hosted by
multiple domain controllers, and if only one of the domain controllers is
running a pre-RC1 version of Windows Server 2003, and if an administrator tries
to demote that Windows Server 2003-based domain controller, the Domain
Controller Demotion Wizard (Dcpromo.exe) behaves as if it is the last replica
that hosts the program folder partition. Dcpromo then requires that you delete
the program folder partition although the domain controller is not the last
domain controller that hosts the program folder partition.
| Modification Type: | Major | Last Reviewed: | 6/5/2003 |
|---|
| Keywords: | kbprb KB324826 |
|---|
|