Demoting a Samba AD DC
From SambaWiki
Introduction
If you keep information about a domain controller (DC) that was permanently removed from the Active Directory (AD) in the directory, clients can encounter timeouts during log ins or other operations. To permanently remove a Samba DC from the AD, you must demote it.
Demote a Working Domain Controller
If you domain controller (DC) is still accessible:
- Log in to the DC you want to demote.
- Verify that the DC does not hold any FSMO role. See Displaying the Current FSMO Role Owners.
- If the DC holds one or more FSMO roles, you must transfer them to a different DC. See Transferring an FSMO Role.
- Demote the DC:
# samba-tool domain demote -Uadministrator Using DC1.samdom.example.com as partner server for the demotion Password for [SAMDOM\administrator]: Deactivating inbound replication Asking partner server DC1.samdom.example.com to synchronize from us Changing userControl and container Demote successful
- Shut down the
samba
service.
Demote an Offline Domain Controller
Only follow this procedure if the domain controller (DC) to demote is no longer accessible; for example, due to a hardware failure:
- Log in to a remaining DC.
- Display your Samba version:
# samba --version
- Samba version prior 4.4.0 do not support demoting a remote DC. Before you continue, upgrade your existing DCs to 4.4.0 or later. For details, see Updating Samba.
- Verify that the DC to demote does not hold any FSMO role. See Displaying the Current FSMO Role Owners.
- If the DC holds one or more FSMO roles, you must seize them. See Seizing an FSMO Role.
- To demote a remote DC, for example
DC2
:
# samba-tool domain demote --remove-other-dead-server=DC2 Removing nTDSConnection: CN=04baf417-eb41-4f31-a5f1-c739f0e92b1b,CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Removing nTDSDSA: CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC2,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com (and any children) Removing RID Set: CN=RID Set,CN=DC2,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Removing computer account: CN=DC2,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com (and any child objects) Removing Samba-specific DNS service account: CN=dns-DC2,CN=Users,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com updating samdom.example.com keeping 3 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kerberos._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_gc._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kerberos._tcp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kerberos._udp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kpasswd._tcp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kpasswd._udp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_gc._tcp,DC=samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=DomainDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.4d5258b9-0cd7-4d78-bdd7-99ebe6b19751.domains,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kerberos._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.dc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.dc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.gc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=c14a774f-9732-4ec2-b9fa-2156c95c4e48,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 0 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_kerberos._tcp.dc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.dc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values updating DC=_ldap._tcp.gc,DC=_msdcs.samdom.example.com,CN=MicrosoftDNS,DC=ForestDnsZones,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com keeping 1 values, removing 1 values Removing Sysvol reference: CN=DC2,CN=Enterprise,CN=Microsoft System Volumes,CN=System,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Removing Sysvol reference: CN=DC2,CN=samdom.example.com,CN=Microsoft System Volumes,CN=System,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Removing Sysvol reference: CN=DC2,CN=Domain System Volumes (SYSVOL share),CN=File Replication Service,CN=System,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Removing Sysvol reference: CN=DC2,CN=Topology,CN=Domain System Volume,CN=DFSR-GlobalSettings,CN=System,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com
Never reconnect a DC to the network, that was demoted using this way. It can cause data loss. |
Verifying the Demotion
The following steps are to verify and clean up remaining directory information after a domain controller demotion. It does not replace the procedure for the demote itself!
- Log on as Domain Administrator to a Windows computer having the Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) installed. See [[Installing_RSAT|Installing RSAT].
- Start
Active Directory Users and Computers
, navigate to theDomain Controllers
container and verify that the demoted DC was removed.
- Start
Active Directory Sites and Services
and check that the demoted DC is not listed in any site.
- Start the
DNS
MMC console and check in all zones, that no entry referring to the demoted DC or it's IP has been left.