Question : DFS ponts to wrong -old- server

Hi Folks,
I have a server 2003 based AD domian. DFS was contained/hosted on 2 servers. 2 new 2003 DFS servers were added to the domain as domain controllers. The 2 new servers were added to DFS namespace and the old servers were removed from DFS Namespace. Also, the DFS role was removed from the old servers.

The old servers are still in the Domain Controller and File Server role.

When a users connects to DFS they are still pointing to the old DFS servers. If I take the old servers off-line the DFS is not available.

Here is the out put from the DFSUtil command:
-----------------------

** Running from server2003 PDC (Server) yields...

J:\>dfsutil /spcinfo

DFS Utility Version 5.2 (built on 5.2.3790.3959)
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

[][server.company.org]
[][company]
[*][company.org]
[+][company.org]
[-itserver.company.org]
[-naboo.company.org]
[+server.company.org]
[-ITServer2.company.org]
[+][company]
[-NABOO]
[+SERVER]
[-ITSERVER]
[-ITSERVER2]

DfsUtil command completed successfully.

~
J:\>dfsutil /pktinfo

DFS Utility Version 5.2 (built on 5.2.3790.3959)
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

--mup.sys--
11 entries...
Entry: \company.org\dfs
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 1232 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \ITSERVER2\DFS
ShortEntry: \ITSERVER2\DFS
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 40 Type:0x281 ( DELETE_PENDING REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SITH\DFS] State:0x109 ( TARGETSET )
2:[\ITSERVER2\DFS] State:0x109 ( TARGETSET )
3:[\ITSERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \NABOO\dfs
ShortEntry: \NABOO\dfs
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 1 Type:0x281 ( DELETE_PENDING REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
0:[\NABOO\dfs] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\ITSERVER\dfs] State:0x09 ( )
2:[\ITSERVER2\dfs] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \ITSERVER\DFS
ShortEntry: \ITSERVER\DFS
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 80 Type:0x81 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SITH\DFS] State:0x109 ( TARGETSET )
2:[\ITSERVER2\DFS] State:0x109 ( TARGETSET )
3:[\ITSERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \SERVER\DFS
ShortEntry: \SERVER\DFS
Expires in 300 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x109 ( TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x19 ( ACTIVE )

Entry: \NABOO\DFS
ShortEntry: \NABOO\DFS
Expires in 300 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\User Shares
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\User Shares
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\NABOO\user shares] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\SysVol
ShortEntry: \company.org\SysVol
Expires in 900 seconds
UseCount: 1 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\ITServer2.company.org\SysVol] State:0x121 ( TARGETSET )
1:[\itserver.company.org\SysVol] State:0x21 ( )
2:[\server.company.org\SysVol] State:0x31 ( ACTIVE )
3:[\naboo.company.org\SysVol] State:0x21 ( )

Entry: \Naboo\DFS\IT Folders
ShortEntry: \Naboo\DFS\IT Folders
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\NABOO\IT Folders] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company\DFS
ShortEntry: \company\DFS
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \company.org\DFS\Apps
ShortEntry: \company.org\DFS\Apps
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\NABOO\Apps] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

DfsUtil command completed successfully.

------

**** Running from server2003 non-DC client yields...

J:\>dfsutil /spcinfo

Microsoft(R) Windows(TM) Dfs Utility Version 4.2
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1991-2005. All Rights Reserved.

[][itserver.company.org]
[][company]
[*][company.org]
[+][company.org]
[+itserver.company.org]
[-ITServer2.company.org]
[-server.company.org]
[-naboo.company.org]
[+][company]
[-ITSERVER2]
[-SERVER]
[-NABOO]
[+ITSERVER]

DfsUtil command completed successfully.

J:\>dfsutil /pktinfo

Microsoft(R) Windows(TM) Dfs Utility Version 4.2
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1991-2005. All Rights Reserved.

--mup.sys--
11 entries...
Entry: \NABOO\DFS
ShortEntry: \NABOO\DFS
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \company.org\SysVol
ShortEntry: \company.org\SysVol
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\ITServer2.company.org\SysVol] State:0x121 ( TARGETSET )
1:[\itserver.company.org\SysVol] State:0x21 ( )
2:[\server.company.org\SysVol] State:0x31 ( ACTIVE )
3:[\naboo.company.org\SysVol] State:0x21 ( )

Entry: \company.org\dfs
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8081 ( REFERRAL_SVC DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\DFS] State:0x119 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )
1:[\SERVER\DFS] State:0x09 ( )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\User Shares
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\User Shares
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\user shares] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\Shared Documents
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\Shared Documents
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\NABOO\shared documents] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \Naboo\dfs\IT Folders
ShortEntry: \Naboo\dfs\IT Folders
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x1 ( DFS )
0:[\NABOO\IT Folders] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \Naboo\dfs\Orientation
ShortEntry: \Naboo\dfs\Orientation
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\Orientation] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\IT Folders
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\IT Folders
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\IT Folders] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\Outcomes
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\Outcomes
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\Yavin\outcomes$] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\Orientation
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\Orientation
Expires in 0 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\Orientation] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

Entry: \company.org\dfs\Apps
ShortEntry: \company.org\dfs\Apps
Expires in 1080 seconds
UseCount: 0 Type:0x8001 ( DFS FAILBACK_ENABLED )
0:[\NABOO\Apps] State:0x131 ( ACTIVE TARGETSET )

DfsUtil command completed successfully.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In AD Users and Computers under Domain System Volume (Sysvol Share) it shows:

Name            Computer      Domain      Type      Description
ITSERVER        ITSERVER       company.org FRS Member
ITSERVER2        ITSERVER2       company.org FRS Member
NABOO            NABOO      company.org        FRS Member
SERVER            SERVER      company.org FRS Member

------------------
My thoughts are to remove the File Server role from the old servers (ITSERVER and ITSERVER2) which I want to take off line forever and also to remove them from the Active Directory role. I am hoping that the the DFS will fail over to NABOO and SERVER where they should be. The DFS data is held on NABOO with both NABOO and SERVER holding DFS Namespace.
If I remove the AD role from these machines will that not stop SYSVOL sharing?
Do I need to specifically enable SYSVOL Share on the new serversa or is that automatic as I think it is?

I would like to get these machines off-line and have DFS solely on the new servers but do not want to break DFS access for my users.I have cleared the DFScache and DNS seems to be correct.

Now DFS is unavailable to my users. It seems to come and go.... Any suggestions, recommendations or comments on my thoughts of removing AD and File Server roles from the old machines are welcome! Thanks.

Mark Abernathy
IT Manager

Answer : DFS ponts to wrong -old- server

demoting shouldnt break anything - once the demotion is done DFS relies on active directory so once the demotion occurs AD should update the links.
If there is still old referneces to the DC's (which you demote) you can clean it up
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/012793ee-5e8c-4a5c-9f66-4a486a7114fd1033.mspx?mfr=true

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