Transferring FSMO Roles In Windows Server 2008

                                           One of the crucial steps required to successfully migrate your domain controller, is to be able to successfully transfer the FSMO roles to the new server. FSMO stands for Flexible Single Master Operations, and in a forest there are at least five roles.

                                            Here, I will be showing you how to transfer the FSMO in Windows Server 2008 - (It's an Additional DC) from my existing Windows 2003 Server.The five FSMO roles are:

1. Schema Master
2. Domain Naming Master
3. Infrastructure Master
4. Relative ID (RID) Master
5. PDC Emulator

The FSMO roles are going to be transferred, using the following three MMC snap-ins :

    Active Directory Schema snap-in  : Will be used to transfer the Schema Master role

    Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in : Will be used to transfer the Domain Naming Master role

    Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in : Will be used to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master roles

                Transferring Schema Master Role

                                Using AD Schema snap-in to transfer the Schema Master role

1. Register schmmgmt.dll in order to be able to use the Active Directory Schema snap-in

    Click Start > Run >  Type  regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll

  2.  Click Start > Run, type mmc, then click OK

3.       Click File > then click Add/Remove Snap-in...

                     From the left side, under Available Snap-ins, click on Active Directory Schema, then click Add > and then click OK

4.   Right click Active Directory Schema, then click Change Active Directory Domain Controller…

5.  From the listed Domain Controllers, click on the domain controller that you want to be the schema master role holder and then click on OK

6.     In the console tree, right click Active Directory Schema [DomainController.DomainName], and then click 

 Operations Master.

 

7.        On the Change Schema Master page, the current schema master role holder will be displayed ( eg:-  AD2K3.ictops.org and the targeted schema holder as well (eg :- WIN-85CLBN5A8QJ.ictops.org).

Once you click Change, the schema master holder will become WIN-85CLBN5A8QJ.ictops.org , click Change

                Transferring Domain Naming Master Role

                                         Using Active Directory Domains and Trusts snap-in to transfer the Domain Naming Master Role

Click Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Domains and Trusts

                   Same as transferring the Schema master role.

         Transferring RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master Roles

                                 Using Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in to transfer the RID Master, PDC Emulator, and Infrastructure Master Roles

1. Click Start > Administrative Tools > Active Directory Users and Computers > Right click

Active Directory Users and Computers, then click All Tasks > Operations Master.

2. You will have three Tabs, representing three FSMO roles (RID, PDC, Infrastructure). Click the Change button under each of these three tabs to transfer the roles.