Installed in two VMs. Server 2008 as AD and Global Catalog. Exchange 2007 install is being attempted on a Server 2003 x64 VM. I can logon to the network so I'm assuming GC can be found by the 2k3 server . I'm at wits end here. This appears to be an issue for a couple folks who have simply gone physical for the DC.. which is not something I'm able to do. Both boxes need to be VMs. Confirmed Global Catalog is enabled under NTDS settings. Checked registry shows settings for GC gc._msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com resolves to the correct IP nslookup returns correct IP only one NIC on servers disabled IPv6 even disabled firewall on both servers. The server "win" which is the AD/GC appears in AD Sites by itself No antivirus running on either server. I also ran Setup /PrepareSchema Setup /PrepareAD Setup /PrepareDomain NTDS settings toggled Global Catalog. When it came back in Event Viewer the following were found Event ID 1119 This domain controller is now a global catalog. Event ID 1869 Active Directory Domain Services has located a global catalog in the following site. Global catalog: \\WIN.MYDOMAIN.com Site: Default-First-Site-Name I also ran Netdiag/DCDIAG with the following results. netdiag /test:dclist /v Find DC in domain 'MYDOMAIN': Found this DC in domain 'MYDOMAIN': DC. . . . . . . . . . . : \\WIN.MYDOMAIN.com Address . . . . . . . . : \\10.1.1.51 Domain Guid . . . . . . : {37A8C108-9D50-4797-80C8-0C72C1124443} Domain Name . . . . . . : MYDOMAIN.com Forest Name . . . . . . : MYDOMAIN.com DC Site Name. . . . . . : Default-First-Site-Name Our Site Name . . . . . : Default-First-Site-Name Flags . . . . . . . . . : PDC emulator GC DS KDC TIMESERV GTIMESERV WRIT ABLE DNS_DC DNS_DOMAIN DNS_FOREST CLOSE_SITE 0x1008 List of DCs in Domain 'MYDOMAIN': WIN.MYDOMAIN.com dcdiag /test:Dns /a /s:win /v Domain Controller Diagnosis Performing initial setup: * Connecting to directory service on server win. * Collecting site info. * Identifying all servers. * Identifying all NC cross-refs. * Found 1 DC(s). Testing 1 of them. Done gathering initial info. Doing initial required tests Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\WIN Starting test: Connectivity * Active Directory LDAP Services Check * Active Directory RPC Services Check ......................... WIN passed test Connectivity Doing primary tests Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\WIN Test omitted by user request: Replications Test omitted by user request: Topology Test omitted by user request: CutoffServers Test omitted by user request: NCSecDesc Test omitted by user request: NetLogons Test omitted by user request: Advertising Test omitted by user request: KnowsOfRoleHolders Test omitted by user request: RidManager Test omitted by user request: MachineAccount Test omitted by user request: Services Test omitted by user request: OutboundSecureChannels Test omitted by user request: ObjectsReplicated Test omitted by user request: frssysvol Test omitted by user request: frsevent Test omitted by user request: kccevent Test omitted by user request: systemlog Test omitted by user request: VerifyReplicas Test omitted by user request: VerifyReferences Test omitted by user request: VerifyEnterpriseReferences Test omitted by user request: CheckSecurityError DNS Tests are running and not hung. Please wait a few minutes... Running partition tests on : ForestDnsZones Test omitted by user request: CrossRefValidation Test omitted by user request: CheckSDRefDom Running partition tests on : DomainDnsZones Test omitted by user request: CrossRefValidation Test omitted by user request: CheckSDRefDom Running partition tests on : Schema Test omitted by user request: CrossRefValidation Test omitted by user request: CheckSDRefDom Running partition tests on : Configuration Test omitted by user request: CrossRefValidation Test omitted by user request: CheckSDRefDom Running partition tests on : MYDOMAIN Test omitted by user request: CrossRefValidation Test omitted by user request: CheckSDRefDom Running enterprise tests on : MYDOMAIN.com Test omitted by user request: Intersite Test omitted by user request: FsmoCheck Starting test: DNS Test results for domain controllers: DC: WIN.MYDOMAIN.com Domain: MYDOMAIN.com TEST: Authentication (Auth) Authentication test: Successfully completed TEST: Basic (Basc) Microsoftr Windows Serverr 2008 Standard (Service Pack level : 2.0) is supported NETLOGON service is running kdc service is running DNSCACHE service is running DNS service is running DC is a DNS server Network adapters information: Adapter [00000009] Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connection: MAC address is 00:0C:29:26:7E:63 IP address is static IP address: 10.1.1.51 DNS servers: 10.1.1.51 (win.MYDOMAIN.com.) [Valid] The A record for this DC was found The SOA record for the Active Directory zone was found The Active Directory zone on this DC/DNS server was found (pri mary) Root zone on this DC/DNS server was not found TEST: Forwarders/Root hints (Forw) Recursion is enabled Forwarders Information: 10.1.1.2 (<name unavailable>) [Valid] 206.248.154.170 (<name unavailable>) [Valid] 206.248.154.22 (<name unavailable>) [Valid] TEST: Delegations (Del) Delegation information for the zone: MYDOMAIN.com. Delegated domain name: _msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com. DNS server: win.MYDOMAIN.com. IP:10.1.1.51 [Valid] TEST: Dynamic update (Dyn) Dynamic update is enabled on the zone MYDOMAIN.com. Test record _dcdiag_test_record added successfully in zone dev elop613.com. Test record _dcdiag_test_record deleted successfully in zone d evelop613.com. TEST: Records registration (RReg) Network Adapter [00000009] Intel(R) PRO/1000 MT Network Connec tion: Matching A record found at DNS server 10.1.1.51: WIN.MYDOMAIN.com Matching CNAME record found at DNS server 10.1.1.51: 8cee356d-bd00-46c0-8fe4-85894c91b954._msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com Matching DC SRV record found at DNS server 10.1.1.51: _ldap._tcp.dc._msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com Matching GC SRV record found at DNS server 10.1.1.51: _ldap._tcp.gc._msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com Matching PDC SRV record found at DNS server 10.1.1.51: _ldap._tcp.pdc._msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com Summary of test results for DNS servers used by the above domain contro llers: DNS server: 10.1.1.2 (<name unavailable>) All tests passed on this DNS server This is a valid DNS server DNS server: 10.1.1.51 (win.MYDOMAIN.com.) All tests passed on this DNS server This is a valid DNS server Name resolution is funtional. _ldap._tcp SRV record for the fores t root domain is registered Delegation to the domain _msdcs.MYDOMAIN.com. is operational DNS server: 206.248.154.170 (<name unavailable>) All tests passed on this DNS server This is a valid DNS server DNS server: 206.248.154.22 (<name unavailable>) All tests passed on this DNS server This is a valid DNS server Summary of DNS test results: Auth Basc Forw Del Dyn RReg Ext ________________________________________________________________ Domain: MYDOMAIN.com WIN PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS PASS n/a ......................... MYDOMAIN.com passed test DNS

So, you have done the ADPrepare without issue, right? Whats the error info when attempting to install the exchange? Is there any error event in the application log on the exchange server? Is there any error info in the installation log?

On the Exchange 2007 box try to do nslookup and execute the following commandnslookup>Set q=all_LDAP._TCP.dc._msdcs.domainnameThis command must resolve all your Domain controllers in domain, if not there is a misconfiguration in DNS.Follow the Procedures suggested in the below article to troubleshoot Domain locator process...http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247811still if not resolved send us the output o all the tests....Once fixed try to install exchange 2007........Good Luck

> _LDAP._TCP.dc._msdcs.MYDOMAIN Server: UnKnown Address: 10.1.1.51 DNS request timed out. timeout was 2 seconds. *** Request to UnKnown timed-out Exchange install log error [9/13/2009 7:03:26 PM] [1] [ERROR] Cannot find at least one global catalog server running Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 or later in the local Active Directory site. Why would it say server unknown when I can do a ping -a 10.1.1.51 and get the name of the server "win" or if i ping "win" i get win.MYDOMAIN.com 10.1.1.51 hrm I may have to run through all the tests again.

Whats the OS version on the DC, Windows server 2008 R2? If yes, please see this article. If not, please try the answers in this thread

Any update?

James. Thanks for the links. I will check and be back to you shortly. Neither of these seem to address the GC issue though. I moved on and installed a 2k3/exchange 2k3 just to get this proof of concept moving.

Ok :)

This fixed my issue, thanks!