Windows Server 2008 restart AD configuration guide

In today's article we are introducing a new feature about Active Directory: Restartable Active Directory, which allows Active Directory to be restarted without a server restart. In Windows
Server 2008 Active Directory can be restarted via the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) or the command line. The suspension of Active Directory makes domain controller upgrades possible, and administrators can use this feature to perform tasks during Active Directory stop, such as offline disk defragmentation for Active Directory databases. Other services running on the server will not rely on Active Directory features, such as DHCP services, which can continue to serve customers after the Active Directory service is stopped.

When the domain controller's Active Directory Services service is running, there is no difference between the domain controller running on Windows Server 2008 and Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003, and the Active Directory service is stopped. At the same time, other domain controllers can be used to take over the domain login tasks. Among them, technologies such as Cached credentials, smart cards and biometric logon will be supported. If there are no other available domain controllers, the administrator can also pass For example, the account and password of the Directory Services Restore Mode on Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 continue to log in to the server.

The unique advantages of restarting Active Directory

Restarting Active Directory can effectively reduce the time required to perform offline operations such as offline disk defragmentation and authorization recovery. You can enhance the availability of other services if the Active Directory service is stopped. When this feature is combined with the Server Core feature of Windows Server 2008, it also reduces the need for domain controllers for full services.

On the Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 Active Directory, offline defragmentation of the database requires domain domain restart in the directory service recovery mode, as well as security upgrades for domain controllers. It is also an operation that needs to be restarted.

In comparison, administrators can easily stop the Active Directory service for Windows Server 2008, just like stopping other services running on this machine. This feature makes offline operations on Active Directory faster, and a domain controller running on Windows Server 2008 is displayed on the Domain Controller of the Calculator Management Tool Service Component (Local) so that the administrator can Easily stop and restart Active Directory.

Status of Domain Controllers

Although the Active Directory that is stopped is very similar to the Directory Service Recovery Mode, the restartable Active Directory feature of Windows Server 2008 domain controllers still provides a The unique state that this state can be perceived in the Active Directory stop is perceived. Let's take a look at the three possible states of the domain controller running on Windows Server 2008:

· The first, Active Directory is turned on, in which the Active Directory service is turned on, the client Both the terminal and other services can run on the server, in which case Windows 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2008 are the same.

· The second Active Directory stop state, in which the Active Directory service is stopped, although this state is unique to Windows Server 2008, but in this state the server actually has The characteristics of some member servers joined to the domain and domain controllers in the directory service recovery mode. For example, in Directory Services Recovery Mode, the Active Directory database (Ntds.dit) is offline, and if other domain controllers are not available for login, the password for the Directory Services Recovery Mode can be used to log in locally. For member servers, users can perform cross-login or use other domain controllers for domain login through the network. Windows Server 2008 domain control in the stopped state also has these features, but in general, we do not recommend domain control to be maintained in this state for a long time.

· Directory Service Recovery Mode Status, this mode (state) has not changed compared to Windows Server 2003.

The following flow chart shows us the transition of the domain controllers on Windows Server 2008 between the three possible states.