How to Find FSMO Role Holders (Servers)

ID: Q234790

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server

SUMMARY

This article describe how to find the servers that hold the Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) roles in a forest.


MORE INFORMATION

Active Directory defines five FSMO roles:

  • Schema master
  • Domain naming master
  • RID master
  • PDC master
  • Infrastructure master
The schema master and the domain naming master are per-forest roles. Therefore, there is only one schema master and one domain naming master per forest.

The RID master, the PDC master, and the infrastructure master are per-domain roles. Each domain has its own RID master, PDC master, and infrastructure master. Therefore, if a forest has three domains, there are three RID masters, three PDC masters, and three infrastructures masters.

How to Determine the RID, PDC, and Infrastructure FSMO Holders of a Selected Domain

  1. Click Start, click Run, type dsa.msc, and then click OK.


  2. Right-click the selected Domain Object in the top left pane, and then click Operations Masters.


  3. Click the PDC tab to view the server holding the PDC master role.


  4. Click the Infrastructure tab to view the server holding the Infrastructure master role.


  5. Click the RID Pool tab to view the server holding the RID master role.


How to Determine the Schema FSMO Holder in a Forest

  1. Click Start, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.


  2. On the Console menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in, click Add, double-click Active Directory Schema, click Close, and then click OK.


  3. Right-click Active Directory Schema in the top left pane, and then click Operations Masters to view the server holding the schema master role.


    4. NOTE: For the Active Directory Schema snap-in to be available, you may have to install Windows 2000 Administration Tools from the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM.

How to Determine the Domain Naming FSMO Holder in a Forest

  1. Click Start, click Run, type mmc, and then click OK.


  2. On the Console menu, click Add/Remove Snap-in, click Add, double-click Active Directory Domains and Trusts, click Close, and then click OK.


  3. In the left pane, click Active Directory Domains and Trusts.


  4. Right-click Active Directory Domains and Trust, and then click Operations Master to view the server holding the domain naming master role in the Forest.


Using the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit

The Windows 2000 Resource Kit contains a .cmd file called Dumpfsmos.cmd that you can use to quickly list FSMO role owners for your current domain and forest. The .cmd file uses Ntdsutil.exe to enumerate the role owners. The Dumpfsmos.cmd file contains: 

@echo off
REM
REM Script to dump FSMO role owners on the server designated by %1
REM

if ""=="%1" goto usage

Ntdsutil roles Connections "Connect to server %1" Quit "select Operation Target" "List roles for connected server" Quit Quit Quit 

goto done

:usage

@echo Please provide the name of a domain controller (i.e. dumpfsmos MYDC)
@echo.

:done
Ntdsutil.exe is the only utility that shows you all the FSMO role owners. You can view the PDC emulator, RID master, and infrastructure master role owners in Active Directory Users and Computers. You can view the schema master role owner in the Active Directory Schema snap-in. You can view the domain naming master role owner in Active Directory Domains and Trusts.

For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q235617 How to Find the FSMO Role Owners Using ADSI and WSH
Q197132 Windows 2000 Active Directory FSMO Roles
Q223346 FSMO Placement and Optimization on Windows 2000 Domains

Additional query words: determine locate identify

Keywords : kbenv kbtool
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: January 28, 2000
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