Renaming a Domain Controller

Actualizado: octubre de 2008

Se aplica a: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2
You can use the Netdom.exe command-line tool to rename a domain controller if the domain functional level is
Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008. At these domain functional levels, Netdom provides the required
preparation for Domain Name System (DNS) and service recognition of the new domain controller name. You can also
use the System Properties user interface (UI), which does not require a domain functional level and does not provide
the same preparation but which relies solely on replication to update the domain controller DNS name and service
principal name (SPN). This method can result in a longer delay before clients can use the renamed domain controller.
The ability to rename domain controllers provides you with the flexibility to:

Restructure your network for organizational and business needs.

Make management and administrative control easier.

Renaming a domain controller is a common operation in many organizations, and it usually occurs when:

New hardware is purchased to replace an existing domain controller.

Domain controllers are decommissioned or promoted and renamed to maintain a naming convention.

Domain controllers are moved or placed in sites.

Nota

It is important to note that domain controller names have a primary impact on administration, rather than client
access. Renaming a domain controller is an optional exercise, and the effects of renaming a domain controller should
be well understood before the domain controller is renamed.

Although you can use System Properties to rename a domain controller (as you can for any computer),
Active Directory and DNS replication latency might temporarily prevent clients from locating or authenticating (or
both) to the renamed domain controller. To avoid this delay, you can use the Netdom command-line tool to rename a
domain controller.
Task requirements
The following is required to perform the procedures for this task:

System Properties or Netdom.exe

1 Ldp.exe or ADSI Edit

If you want to use Netdom, the domain functional level must be set to Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008.
To complete this task, use one of the following two sets of procedures:

1. Rename a Domain Controller Using System Properties

2. Update the FRS or DFS Replication Member Object

Or

1. Rename a Domain Controller Using Netdom

2. Update the FRS or DFS Replication Member Object

Nota

After you rename your domain controller, you must manually update the File Replication Service (FRS) or
Distributed File System (DFS) Replication member object. This object must be updated with the new domain
controller name so that the domain controller can replicate SYSVOL. Because the FRS or DFS Replication member
object is not updated with the domain controller name automatically during the domain controller rename, we
recommend that you rename your server before you promote it to domain controller status.

Rename a Domain Controller

Using Netdom
Actualizado: octubre de 2008

Se aplica a: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use this procedure to rename a domain controller by using the Netdom command-line tool.

The netdom command updates the Service Principal Name (SPN) attributes in Active Directory Domain Services
(AD DS) for the computer account. This command also registers Domain Name System (DNS) resource records for
the new computer name. The SPN value of the computer account must be replicated to all domain controllers in
the domain, and the DNS resource records for the new computer name must be distributed to all the authoritative
DNS servers for the domain name. If the updates and registrations have not occurred before the removal of the

2
old computer name, some clients might not be able to locate this computer using the new name or the old name.

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Consulte los
detalles relativos al uso correcto de las cuentas y pertenencias a grupos en Grupos predeterminados locales y de
dominio (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).
To rename a domain controller using Netdom

1. Open a Command Prompt as an administrator: On the Start menu, right-click Command Prompt, and
then click Run as administrator. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, provide Domain
Admins credentials, if required, and then click Continue.

2. At the command prompt, type the following command to add the new domain controller name, and then
press ENTER:

netdom computername <CurrentComputerName> /add:<NewComputerName>

Value Description

netdom computername Manages the primary and alternate names for a computer.

<CurrentComputerName> The current, or primary, fully qualified DNS name of the computer that you are
renaming.

/add: Specifies that a new alternate DNS name should be added.

<NewComputerName> The new fully qualified DNS name for the computer that you are renaming.

3. Type the following command to designate the new name as the primary computer name, and then press
ENTER:

netdom computername <CurrentComputerName> /makeprimary:<NewComputerName>

Value Description

3 netdom computername Manages the primary and alternate names for a computer.

<CurrentComputerName> The current, or primary, fully qualified domain name (FQDN)of the computer that
 you are renaming.

/makeprimary: Specifies that an existing alternate name should be made into the primary name.

<NewComputerName> The new name for the computer. The NewComputerName must be a FQDN. The
primary DNS suffix that is specified in the FQDN for NewComputerName must be th
same as the primary DNS suffix of CurrentComputerName, or it must match the DN
name of the Active Directory domain that is hosted by this domain controller, or it
must be contained in the list of allowed DNS suffixes that is specified in the msDS-
AllowedDNSSuffixes attribute of the domainDns object.

4. Restart the computer.

5. After the computer restarts, open a Command Prompt.

4
 6. At the command prompt, type the following command to remove the old domain controller name, and then
press ENTER:

netdom computername <NewComputerName> /remove:<OldComputerName>

Value Description

netdom computername Manages the primary and alternate names for a computer.

<NewComputerName> The new FQDN that you added for the computer in step 2.

/remove: Specifies that an existing alternate name should be removed.

<OldComputerName> The old FQDN of the renamed computer.

Update the FRS or DFS Replication

Member Object
Actualizado: octubre de 2008

Se aplica a: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use this procedure to update the File Replication Service (FRS) or Distributed File System (DFS) Replication
member object after you rename a domain controller. This object must be updated with the new domain controller
name so that the domain controller can replicate SYSVOL.

5
For more information about this procedure, see article 316826 in the Microsoft Knowledge Base
(http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=82821).

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Consulte los
detalles relativos al uso correcto de las cuentas y pertenencias a grupos en Grupos predeterminados locales y de
dominio (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).
To update the FRS member object

1. On the Start menu, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and
Computers.

2. On the View menu, click Advanced Features.

3. Expand the domain node, System, File Replication Service, and Domain System Volume (SYSVOL
share). The <DomainControllerName> objects below Domain System Volume (SYSVOL share) are the
FSR Member objects that correspond to domain controllers in the domain. Find the
<DomainControllerName> object that shows the old name of the domain controller.

4. Right-click the FRS Member object for the old name of the domain controller, and then click Rename.

5. Type the new name of the domain controller.

6. To verify the name change, open ADSI Edit: On the Start menu, point to Administrative Tools, and then
click ADSI Edit.

View the fRSMemberReference attribute of the object CN=Domain System Volume (SYSVOL
share),CN=NTFRS Subscriptions,CN=<DomainControllerName>,OU=Domain
Controllers,DC=<DomainName> and confirm that the value in CN=<DomainControllerName> is the new
name.

To update the DFS Replication member object

1. On the Start menu, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and
Computers.

2. On the View menu, click Advanced Features.

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 3. Expand the domain node, System, DFSR-GlobalSettings, Domain System Volume, and Topology.
The <DomainControllerName> objects below Domain System Volume are the msDFSR-Member objects
that correspond to domain controllers in the domain. Find the <DomainControllerName> object that shows
the old name of the domain controller.

4. Right-click the msDFSR-Member object for the old name of the domain controller, and then click Rename.

5. Type the new name of the domain controller.

6. To verify the name change, open ADSI Edit: On the Start menu, point to Administrative Tools, and then
click ADSI Edit.

View the msDFSR-MemberReference attribute of the object CN=Domain System Volume,CN=DFSR-

LocalSettings,CN=<DomainControllerName>,OU=Domain Controllers,DC=<DomainName> and confirm
that the value in CN=<DomainControllerName> is the new name.

Rename a Domain Controller

Using System Properties
Actualizado: octubre de 2008

Se aplica a: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

You can use this procedure to rename a domain controller by using the System Properties graphical user interface
(GUI).

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Consulte los
detalles relativos al uso correcto de las cuentas y pertenencias a grupos en Grupos predeterminados locales y de
dominio (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To rename a domain controller using System Properties

1. In Server Manager, click Change System Properties.

2. On the Computer Name tab, click Change.

3. Click OK to acknowledge that renaming the domain controller may cause it to become temporarily
unavailable to users and computers.

7 Nota
 Renaming a domain controller in this way may result in Active Directory replication latency, making
more difficult for clients to locate or authenticate the domain controller under its new name.

4. Under Computer Name, type the new name, and then click OK.

5. Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box.

6. If you are prompted, provide the user name and password for an account with Domain Admin or Enterprise
Admin credentials.