ADSync installation and involved Server roles


Summary

This article provides information for ADSync installation and the involved Server roles.

Applies To

This article applies to ADSync.

Scenario:

As mentioned in installation documentation, ADSync needs to be installed on the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and if available on the other (additional) Domain Controllers.  It can and does happen that the role of PDC gets demoted in case of for example Server updates or other reasons. What are the dependencies/relationships here between the PDC installation and additional Server installations?

Questions:

  • Do we need to change anything / reinstall anything if software is also installed on additional Servers in case PDC is demoted? 
  • If one of the additional Servers gets promoted to PDC does one have to change anything on the old PDC?

Solution:

There are two possible cases and steps are needed for both cases based on above scenarios:

Case 1: PDC Server is completely gone and being replaced by and ADC:

The steps required are:
  1. Copy “SyncConfiguration.xml” file from PDC/ADC to some secured location
  2. If ADSync was already installed on ADC as ADC server role, then uninstall the utility and reinstall with PDC role option selected from ADSync installer
  3. Once installation is completed then place “SyncConfiguration.xml” file inside the installation directory.
Case 2: You want to switch PDC/ADC role.

Switch roles for DC and do not change ADSync, it will work.