How to create a DHCP and DNS backup Server

blastman · 11 Aug 2009 at 09:33

Hi all,

At work we have two offices.

In my one I have two DC's. One of them is the DHCP and DNS server for our site and works well. The other is our windows update server.

I'd like to set the other DC up so if the 1st should die my users won't notice any difference on our network as the 2nd DC will start handling all IP and DNS requests.

Anybody feel like helping a guy out, or pointing me in the right direction??

Cheers in advance.

howler · 11 Aug 2009 at 09:43

If the second server is a domain controller then it should have DNS running anyway

as for DHCP, how much space do you have free in your scope?

blastman · 11 Aug 2009 at 09:54

howler said:
If the second server is a domain controller then it should have DNS running anyway

as for DHCP, how much space do you have free in your scope?

The 2nd machine is a domain controller as it has AD running on it ok. I've also noticed that the 2nd machine has DNS running on it ok.

As for the scope, I have about 125 addresses not being used at any one time.

why do you ask?

blastman · 11 Aug 2009 at 09:59

I've just had a thought...

Since both these machines are on the same subnet, Can i not just scope half the address on one machine and the other half on the other??

That way both of the servers have enough space to run on there own and since thier on the same subnet I dont have to worry about bootP on our router.

seems ok?

Uhtred · 11 Aug 2009 at 10:10

That would work fine - That's what we do and i think that's what howler was getting at

blastman · 11 Aug 2009 at 10:48

cool.

I've just tried to create a scope on my 2nd DC but it keeps telling me to Authroise it for AD. I have clikced the authrise button but it has taken over 20min and still I'm unable to get it connected to AD.

Any ideas?

edit;

On my other DC if I open the DHCP snap in and hit the 'manage authroised servers button' I can see that my 2nd server has been added. This is the case for the two other DC's on the other site as well.

To me, this would suggest that my 2nd server has managed to intreage it's self into AD correctly as the other DHCP severs can see it, but it still tells me to authroise it and has a white right with a red arrow pointing down on the icon in the left hand panel.

I've also just read that if your connecting a DC that allready has AD running on it it should authmaticly authrise it's self and shouldn't ask like it is.

I'm stuck!!