Active Directory Domain Services 2008 : Seize the RID Master Role, Seize the PDC Emulator Role, Seize the Infrastructure Master Role

Seize the RID Master Role

Scenario/Problem: If the current RID master role holder becomes unavailable and cannot be recovered, you must move that role to another domain controller.

Solution: When the current RID master has failed, you need to seize the role and move it to another domain controller. It is important that, after the role has been seized, the original role holder is not brought back online.

To seize the RID master role, perform the following steps:

1.	Log on to a domain controller.
2.	Click Start, and click Command Prompt.
3.	In the Command Prompt window, type ntdsutil and press Enter.
4.	At the ntdsutil command prompt, type roles and press Enter.
5.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connections and press Enter.
6.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connect to server DomainController, where DomainController is the domain controller you want to assign the new operations master role, and press Enter.
7.	At the server connections command prompt, type quit and press Enter.
8.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type seize RID master and press Enter.
9.	In the Role Seizure Confirmation Dialog screen, click Yes.
10.	Ntdsutil first attempts to safe transfer the role before seizing the role. If a safe transfer fails, ntdsutil proceeds with the role seizure, as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1. Seizing the RID master role.

Seize the PDC Emulator Role

Scenario/Problem: If the current PDC emulator role holder becomes unavailable and cannot be recovered, you need to move that role to another domain controller.

Solution: When the current PDC emulator has failed, you need to seize the role and move it to another domain controller. It is important that, after the role has been seized, the original role holder is not brought back online.

To seize the PDC emulator role, perform the following steps:

1.	Log on to a domain controller.
2.	Click Start, and click Command Prompt.
3.	In the Command Prompt window, type ntdsutil and press Enter.
4.	At the ntdsutil command prompt, type roles and press Enter.
5.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connections and press Enter.
6.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connect to server DomainController, where DomainController is the domain controller you want to assign the new operations master role, and press Enter.
7.	At the server connections command prompt, type quit and press Enter.
8.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type seize PDC and press Enter.
9.	In the Role Seizure Confirmation Dialog screen, click Yes.
10.	Ntdsutil first attempts to safe transfer the role before seizing the role. If a safe transfer fails, ntdsutil proceeds with the role seizure, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2. Seizing the PDC Emulator role.

Seize the Infrastructure Master Role

Scenario/Problem: If the current infrastructure master role holder becomes unavailable and cannot be recovered, you need to move that role to another domain controller.

Solution: When the current infrastructure master has failed, you need to seize the role and move it to another domain controller. It is important that, after the role has been seized, the original role holder is not brought back online.

To seize the infrastructure master role, perform the following steps:

1.	Log on to a domain controller.
2.	Click Start, and click Command Prompt.
3.	In the Command Prompt window, type ntdsutil and press Enter.
4.	At the ntdsutil command prompt, type roles and press Enter.
5.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connections and press Enter.
6.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type connect to server DomainController, where DomainController is the domain controller you want to assign the new operations master role, and press Enter.
7.	At the server connections command prompt, type quit and press Enter.
8.	At the fsmo maintenance command prompt, type seize infrastructure master and press Enter.
9.	In the Role Seizure Confirmation Dialog screen, click Yes.
10.	Ntdsutil first attempts to safe transfer the role before seizing the role. If a safe transfer fails, ntdsutil proceeds with the role seizure, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3. Seizing the infrastructure master role.