This is the first time I am doing this sort of configuration on a windows Env. Hailing from a strong linux background , I just wanted to check on what the expected outcome was.
Its a network of about 20 PC's which had 1 Domain Controller (Server 1), A hard drive crash and a recovery kept it half dead and most of the Snap-ins did now work. I configured a new DC on a different machnine (Server 2) and promoted it as a domain controller. So now there are 2 Domain controllers but all the FSMO's are still on Server 1. However due to the instability of Server 1 I am not sure whether the replication completed successfully. ( Note:- most of the users in ADUS are not in SBS console when checked on Server 2) .
My question would be, If i am to physically pull out the Network cable of Server 1 Who has all the current FSMO's would Server 2 automatically be promoted to these FSMO's
I checked for several days on the internet to find a similar scenario, All the topics were about demoting server1, but i would like to have a fallback plan where I can plug the cable back in and remove server 2 from the network
Thanks in advance
No the FSMO roles will not be automatically moved.
If you move the FSMO roles from one DC to another while the domain controllers are both healthy and operational, this is called transferring the FSMO roles gracefully, and is the preferred method.
If you move the FSMO roles after the original FSMO role holder is permanently offline, or off the network, this is called forcefully seizing the FSMO roles, and is considered a last resort.
Either way, you must do this manually.
And one very important tip -- if you seize the FSMO roles from the old DC you must never, ever bring the old domain controller back online on the network. Doing so usually causes a USN rollback, which can be a real pain to remediate and basically leave your AD forest in even worse shape than it was before.
You may or may not need to seize the roles - we do not have enough information to know that for sure. You would start by using repadmin.exe and dcdiag.exe to determine if your forest is healthy enough to gracefully transfer FSMO roles.
You can transfer FSMO roles through the GUI, or through NTDSUTIL. However, you can seize only via ntdsutil.
Seizing FSMO roles
You should try gracefully transferring the roles first since you don't really know how good or bad shape your AD domain is in. Active Directory will tell you if the conditions aren't right for the roles to be transferred gracefully.
(I sound like a pharmaceutical ad - ask your contractor if transferring FSMOs is right for you. Do not transfer FSMOs if you're not healthy enough for this type of activity...)