7/29/2019 How to View and Transfer FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2003

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How to view and transfer FSMO roles in Windows Server 2003Article ID: 324801 - View products that this article applies to.

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This article was previously published under Q324801

This article describes how to transfer Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles (also known as operations masterroles) by using the Active Directory

snap-in tools in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) in Windows Server 2003.

FSMO Roles

In a forest, there are at least 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. 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. There can be only

one domain naming master in the whole forest.

Infrastructure Master: The infrastructure is responsible for updating references from objects in its domain to objects in other domains. At any one

time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the infrastructure master in each domain.

Relative ID (RID) Master: The RID master is responsible for processingRID pool requests from all domain controllers in a particular domain. 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 a domain controller that advertises itself as the primary domain controller (PDC) to workstations, member serve

and domain controllers that are running earlier versions of Windows. For example, if the domain contains computers that are not running Microsoft

Windows XP Professional or Microsoft Windows 2000 client software, or if it contains Microsoft Windows NT backup domain controllers, the PDC

emulator master acts as a Windows NT PDC. It is also the Domain Master Browser, and it handles password discrepancies. At any one time, there ca

be only one domain controller acting as the PDC emulator master in each domain in the forest.

You can transfer FSMO roles by using the Ntdsutil.exe command-line utility or by using an MMC snap-in tool. Depending on the FSMO role that you want to

transfer, you can use one of the following three MMC snap-in tools:

Active Directory Schema snap-in

Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in

Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in

If a computer no longer exists, the role must be seized. To seize a role, use the Ntdsutil.exe utility.

For additional information about how to use the Ntdsutil.exe utility to seize FSMO roles, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft

Knowledge Base:

255504 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504/ ) Using Ntdsutil.exe to Seize or Transfer the FSMO Roles to a Domain

Transfer the Schema Master Role

Use the Active Directory Schema Master snap-in to transfer the schema master role. Before you can use this snap-in, you must register the Schmmgmt.dll fil

Register Schmmgmt.dll

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. Type regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll in the Open box, and then click OK.

3. Click OKwhen you receive the message that the operation succeeded.

Transfer the Schema Master Role

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7/29/2019 How to View and Transfer FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2003

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1. Click Start, click Run, type mmc in the Open box, and then click OK.

2. On the File, menu click Add/Remove Snap-in.

3. Click Add.

4. Click Active Directory Schema, click Add, click Close, and then click OK.

5. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Change Domain Controller.

6. Click Specify Name, type the name of the domain controller that will be the new role holder, and then click OK.

7. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Schema, and then click Operations Master.

8. Click Change.

9. Click OKto confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click Close.

Transfer the Domain Naming Master Role

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

2. Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, and then click Connect to Domain Controller.

NOTE: You must perform this step if you are not on the domain controller to which you want to transfer the role. You do not have to perform this ste

if you are already connected to the domain controller whose role you want to transfer.

3. Do one of the following:

In the Enter the name of another domain controller box, type the name of the domain controller that will be the new role holder, and then

click OK.

-or-

In the Or, select an available domain controller list, click the domain controller that will be the new role holder, and then click OK.

4. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, and then click Operations Master.

5. Click Change.

6. Click OKto confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click Close.

Transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master Roles

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

2. Right-click Active Directory Users and Computers, and then click Connect to Domain Controller.

NOTE: You must perform this step if you are not on the domain controller to which you want to transfer the role. You do not have to perform this ste

if you are already connected to the domain controller whose role you want to transfer.

3. Do one of the following:

In the Enter the name of another domain controller box, type the name of the domain controller that will be the new role holder, and then

click OK.

-or-

In the Or, select an available domain controller list, click the domain controller that will be the new role holder, and then click OK.

4. In the console tree, right-click Active Directory Users and Computers, point to All Tasks, and then click Operations Master.

5. Click the appropriate tab for the role that you want to transfer (RID, PDC, or Infrastructure), and then click Change.

6. Click OKto confirm that you want to transfer the role, and then click Close.

For additional information about a related topic, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

255690 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255690/ ) How to view and transfer FSMO roles in the graphical user interface

Article ID: 324801 - Last Review: September 11, 2011 - Revision: 11.0APPLIES TO

Microsoft Window s Server 2003, Enterprise x64 EditionMicrosoft Windo ws Server 2003, Datacenter Edition (32-bit x86)Microsoft Windo ws Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (32-bit x86)Microsoft Windo ws Server 2003, Standard Editio n (32-bit x86)Microsoft Windo ws Small Bu siness Server 2003 Premium EditionMicrosoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 Standard EditionMicrosoft Windo ws Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition (32-Bit x86)Microsoft Windo ws Server 2003 R2 Datacenter x64 EditionMicrosoft Windo ws Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition (32-Bit x86)Microsoft Windo ws Server 2003 R2 Enterprise x64 EditionMicrosoft Windo ws Server 2003 R2 Standard Edition (32-bit x86)Microsoft Window s Server 2003 R2 Standard x64 EditionWindow s Server 2008 DatacenterWindow s Server 2008 EnterpriseWindow s Server 2008 R2 DatacenterWindow s Server 2008 R2 EnterpriseWindow s Server 2008 R2 StandardWindow s Server 2008 Standard

REFERENCES

Properties

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255690