Roles of FSMO in Windows 200020032008

Roles of FSMO in Windows 200020032008

It is generally believed that the computer world is the fastest field as it experiences changes with every passing moment. So much is changed in a single day so it puts a great duty on system administrators to keep their systems upgraded.

One of the first and foremost duties of a system administrator is to upgrade the current domain controller to a new hardware server. In order to transfer the domain controller, a system administrator has to first migrate the FSMO roles to the new hardware server. FSMO stands for Flexible Single Master Operation.

In fact, the Active Directory uses multi-master replication schemes; in order to replicate the directory database among domain controllers, some of the functions can only be performed on specific controllers. These particular functions are defined by FSMO roles.

Usually there are five roles in a forest, which are required to be transferred for the successful migration of domain to a new hardware server.

Windows 2000/2003 FSMO Roles

There are five types of FSMO roles in Windows 2000/2003, which are as followed:

• Domain naming master
• Schema master
• RID master
• Infrastructure daemon
• PDC emulator

Domain naming master FSMO role

It is the DC responsible, which makes changes to the forest-wide domain name of directory. It is the only one that is used to add or remove a domain in internal and external directories.

Schema master

It is DC responsible to perform updates to the directory schema. Once the update is complete, it is replicated from master to all other DCs in the directory.

RID master

It is single DC responsible which processes requests from all DCs in domain. Using his role, unwanted objects can also be removed from the domain. Each Windows

2000 DC in domain is allotted a pool of RIDs.

Infrastructure daemon

It is used when an object in one domain is referenced by some object in a different domain. It is also responsible for updating the objects.

PDC Emulator FSMO Role

The PDC emulator is used to synchronize time in an enterprise. All Windows 2000-based computers within an enterprise use a shared time. Moreover, it has the authority for the domain.

FSMO Roles in Window 2008

As you know that various assignments are required to be achieved by lone. So, as far as Active Directory 2008 is concerned, few of the assignments are executed by just one domain controller, which are jointly called FSMO Roles.

The Windows 2008 server FSMO Roles are categorized in two types:

1. Forest Roles
2. Domain Roles

1. Roles of Forest

A. Schema Master

As advocated by its name, alterations done during the development of some object in an ‘Active Directory’ or the alterations in traits would be carried out by a solitary domain controller. Next, it would be copied to further domain controllers, which are usually found in a pretty distinct environment. There is no exploitation of Active Directory schema if all the domain controllers start making changes at the same time.

B. Master of Domain Naming

It is a role pretty rarely used. In other words, it is usually used in cases when you’re to include or exclude some domain controllers. This particular role confirms that the environment carries an exclusive name for the domain.

2. Domain Roles

A. Master of Infrastructure

This very role ensures changes for any objects in the domain. If in case, any new changes are spotted, then it will certainly copy to one of the other domain controller.

B. Master of RID

This unique role is dedicated for security purposes.

C. PDC Emulator

Account policies are treated by this role.