WD Lesson - 15

Renaming and Restructuring Domains and Renaming Domain Controllers

Renaming and Restructuring Domains

We can rename the domains, move the existing domains to another location in the domain hierarchy and also rename domain controllers without first demoting them.

            Restructuring a forest allows you to move a domain anywhere within the forest it resides in (except the forest root domain); this includes the ability to move a domain so that it becomes the root of its own domain tree.

Using Domain Rename Utility

The Domain Rename Utility (Rendom.exe) allows us to change the DNS and NetBIOS of the following:

1. forest-root domain
2. tree-root domains
3. parent and child domains

Rendom.exe also helps in restructuring domain position in the forest.

                                            

Where to find Rendom.exe utility?

The Rendom.exe utility can be found in the \Valueadd\Msft\Mgmt\Domren directory on the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM.

A domain rename will affect every domain controller in our forest; so we should accordingly take enough pre-renaming as well as post-renaming steps to keep the infrastructure smoothly operate.

Need for Renaming a Domain Controller

1. To use an existing domain controller to serve a large number of clients
2. To Restructure our network for organizational and business needs
3. To  Make management and administrative control easier

Domain controller renaming steps:

1.Click Start, and then click Command Prompt.

2.At the command prompt, type: netdom computername CurrentComputerName   /add:NewComputerName. Press Enter.

3.Wait for replication latency time.

4.At the command prompt type: netdom computername CurrentComputerName /makeprimary: NewComputerName. Press Enter.

5.Restart the computer.                                                           

Verifying the Renamed Domain controller

1. Right click My Computer

2. Click Properties

3. Click Computer Name

4. Check Computer Name, whether it is the changed name or not.