DSMN: How to Recover from a loss of the Account Synchronization

MORE INFORMATION

To recover from PDC server failure when there is a backup database:

1. Promote a backup domain controller (BDC) in the domain to PDC.
2. If you have not already done so, install Directory Service Manager for NetWare (DSMN) on the newly-promoted server.
3. Use the NET STOP MSSYNC command to stop the DSMN service on the new PDC.
4. On the new PDC, create a backup subdirectory of the %SystemRoot%\System32\Syncagnt directory.
5. Copy the following files from an account synchronization backup location to the backup directory:
   
   Mssync.mdb
   System.mdb
   Jetn.log
   *.pat
6. Use the Control Panel Services tool to start the DSMN service.
7. In Synchronization Manager, click Synchronize All Servers from the NetWare Server menu.

The synchronization may take a significant amount of time, depending on the number of NetWare servers being synchronized, and the number of accounts being propagated.

To recover from loss of the account synchronization database with no backup Database, perform the following steps:

If you do not have a backup copy of the account synchronization database, you must reconstruct your NetWare account information once you have a new PDC.

1. On each NetWare server that was participating in the domain, use NetWare administrative tools to delete the user account named WINNT_SYNC_AGENT.
2. To return the NetWare server bindery to the state it was in before you added the NetWare server to the domain, restore the bindery from a backup.
3. For each NetWare server, use Synchronization Manager to again add the server to the domain, specifying which accounts to propagate from the NetWare server to the domain and which groups to propagate back from the domain to the server. You will have to set a new password for each propagated user.