Dear all, I have a one Forest and One domain with 5 additional Peer domains of Windows 2008. Means I have one Root Domain controller and 5 additional Peer domain controller for this root. My Root domain controller getting time from GPS time server. My question is what is time source for Peer domain controller. As i have only one PDC Emulator on Root domain. Is there any way to configure all the Peer domain controllers and root domain should take time from GPS time server. So that i have consistent time in all the domains and the nodes. In the event of Root domain controller failure how the time synch works?

Hello, each child domain also have a PDCEmulator, RID Master and IM: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/223346/en-us For the time sync the default is that a child DC use a root DC as time source automatically. So nothing to change for you. More details in: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc773013(WS.10).aspx As you are talking about one DC per root/domain only, keep in mind that it is recommended to use at least 2 DC/DNS/GC per domain for fail over and redundancy. If the root DC fails and no authoritative time source is available the machines will go on using the time as set to that moment. Of course this can result in problems after longer times. Make sure to have always the DCs up and running and healthy, so check them regular with the support tools: dcdiag /v /c /d /e /s:dcname >c:\dcdiag.txt netdiag /v >c:\netdiag.txt [from each DC, netdiag may work but isn't supported with Windows server 2008 and don't run on Windows server 2008 R2] repadmin /showrepl dc* /verbose /all /intersite >c:\repl.txt ["dc* is a place holder for the starting name of the DCs if they all begin the same (if more then one DC exists)] dnslint /ad /s "DCipaddress" (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321045) Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Thanks for Reply Meinolf. You mean No need of any configuration for Child domain. What if we go for "All Available Synchronization Mechanisms". How i can do this. As if RDC failes my child should get time from GPS time server. What is different between child domain and peer domain. are they same. As i am adding five other domain to root domain. Regards, Girish

Hello, "All Available Synchronization Mechanisms" See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/816042/ for the required settings. "As if RDC failes my child should get time from GPS time server." Then you have to configure the PDCEmulator from the child domain to the time server. Make sure to use for root/child domains the same time source. "What is different between child domain and peer domain. are they same" No they are not the same, different domain names and authentication is on the child domain not root for example. Also you have different password policy options in a child domain. "As i am adding five other domain to root domain" Why do you need them? Most the time a single forest domain is sufficient and OUs are the way to separate offices. This reduces the amount of needed DCs, licenses, administration and backup and failover configuration. Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.

Hi Meinolf, As per network architecture requirement. I have only one Active directory installed on Root Domain and is seating on Level-3 , I need to provide additional domain controller on five different physical location but requirement is that they should use same active directory, passwords, and OUs. By consiodering this we have one root domain controller and five addsitional domain controllers on different location. Not that the domain environment is only one. one domain name only. All the nodes are logging into one domain only. I have one pair of GPS time server with Antena on Level 3 which providing time to the Root domain. Please suggest me how time synchronization should happen and what if Root domain fails and i dont have time source for additiuonal domain. Not that i dont have Child domain concept. Thanks for your help. Regards, Girish

Hello, as you have mentioned child domain not additional domain controllers what is complete different from child domains there is some confusion of course. So please change the term from child/root domain to domain controller instead as they are all in the same domain and just the FSMOs are different. So you have a single forest domain like domain.com with 1 DC at the main site and in the other locations also DCs for domain.com, that's it if i understand you correct. Then you will be fine with the PDCEmulator sync to the GPS time server. Do NOT configure another DC to use this as time source, if the PDCEmulator fails and doesn't come back from backup then seize the FSMO role to another DC in the domain and configure this one for the GPS time server. More details about domain time: http://msmvps.com/blogs/mweber/archive/2010/06/27/time-configuration-in-a-windows-domain.aspx Best regards Meinolf Weber Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties or guarantees , and confers no rights.