Configure AD Replication on Windows Server 2012

5/23/2020 Active Directory Replication on Windows Server 2012 – BestServerSupport Blog
Active Directory Replication on Windows Server 2012

Replication is the process of making a copy of something. Using the replication process we can copy the
active directory database from one site to another site. Replication is the process of sending update
information for data that has changed in the directory to other domain controllers. That means we are
creating a backup of the original domain controller to make sure it is available in the case of failures. Active
Directory replication is key to the health and stability of an Active Directory environment. When replica of
Active Directory is implemented, every change that is being made to master serve will be replicated to a
secondary server.
Following are the steps to configure and test the Active Directory replication on Windows Server 2012. This
will replicate the AD changes on Mirror Server :
First, we need to set up 2 Windows 2012 Servers [Master & Mirror]. After setting up servers, we need to
install the ADDS on both the servers and Promote Master DC as mentioned below :
1. Open Server Manager. from the Manage, click Add Roles and Features, and click Next.
2. On the Select installation type page, click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
3. On the Select destination server page, click Select a server from the server pool, click the name of the
server where you want to install AD DS and then click Next.
4. On the Select server roles page, click Active Directory Domain Services, click Add Features and then click
Next.
5. On the Select features page, select any additional features that you want to install and click Next.
6. On the Active Directory Domain Services page, review the information and then click Next.
7. On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install.
8. On the Dashboard, verify Installation succeeded by clicking on flag icon, and click Promote this server to
a domain controller to start the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard.
9. On the Deployment Configuration page, click Add a new forest and then type the name of the root
domain.
10. On the Domain Controller Options page, select the domain and forest functional levels(i.e. Windows
Server 2012), click Domain Name System (DNS) server, specify the DSRM password, and then click Next.
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11. On the DNS Options page, click Next. (We will see DNS Delegation Warning, and we can ignore it.)
12. On the Additional Options page, verify the default NetBIOS name of the domain, and then click Next
.
13. On the Paths page, accept default locations, and click Next.
14. On the Review Options page, confirm your selections, (We must need to check DNS Server: Yes from the
script. If it is not there, our entire system will not function properly) and then click Next.
15. On the Prerequisites Check page, confirm that prerequisite validation completed and then click Install.
16. The server will now be restarted automatically to complete the AD DS installation.
Now follow the below mentioned steps for AD DS Promotion on the Mirror Server :
1. Open Server Manager. from the Manage, click Add Roles and Features, and click Next.
2. On the Select installation type page, click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
3. On the Select destination server page, click Select a server from the server pool, click the name of the
server where you want to install AD DS and then click Next.
4. On the Select server roles page, click Active Directory Domain Services, click Add Features and then click
Next.
5. On the Select features page, select any additional features that you want to install and click Next.
6. On the Active Directory Domain Services page, review the information and then click Next.
7. On the Confirm installation selections page, click Install.
8. On the Dashboard, verify Installation succeeded by clicking on flag icon, and click Promote this server to
a domain controller to start the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard.
9. On the Deployment Configuration page, click Add a domain controller to an existing domain, type the
name of existing domain and Click on Select Button and supply the admin login credentials of Master
DC along with the Domain, and then click Next.
10. If the domain is not in the list, then We need to add IP address of Master DC in Preferred DNS Server.
11. For this, go to Ethernet Properties of your server and modify the settings of Preferred DNS Server. In
preferred DNS, assign IP of Master DC.
12. After this step, repeat above mentioned step no-9 for selecting domain. You can see now your domain
is in the forest list.
13. Now, on the Domain Controller Options page,check DNS and GC options, type and confirm the
Directory Services Restore Mode password, and then click Next.
14. On the DNS Options page, we will see DNS Delegation Warning. If we Ignore above DNS Delegation
Warning, it will manage the DNS Records from its end. We just need to ignore it.
15. On the Additional Options page, select the domain controller that you want to replicate the AD DS
installation data from and then click Next.
16. On the Paths page, accept default locations, and then click Next.
17. On the Review Options page, confirm your selections, and then click Next.
18. On the Prerequisites Check page, confirm that prerequisite validation completed and then click Install.
19. The server will now restart automatically to complete the AD DS installation.
Here we are done with the basic configurations.
Now to Verify Active Directory Replication perform following steps:
1. Open Active Directory Sites and Services, here you will see both the servers are added.
2. Navigate to any of the servers and Right Click on Automatically Generated Script. Select Replicate Now
Option.
3. You will see an informative dialog box as displayed in following picture which is a sign of a successful
replication.
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6 Comments
Tahir Aziz
NOVEMBER 10, 2015 AT 5:20 AM
What is default replication time between 2 sites, further can we schedule it automatically.
REPLY
AccuWeb Hosting
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 AT 8:23 AM
I think that default replication time is 5 seconds between two server. It can be customized.
REPLY
Osama
AUGUST 16, 2017 AT 3:40 PM
i want the new AD to be the same name as the main one, i don’t want to change the profiles of the clients.
REPLY
Alesssandro
DECEMBER 2, 2017 AT 10:53 AM
Hi,
Can You please tell me how to remove the replica server without having issues?
Thank You
Alessandro
REPLY
MENGHOUT DEAP
APRIL 25, 2018 AT 3:08 PM
Excuse me! can i ask you something about this replication? I mean after i did that if the MASTER domain has
100 user obviously Mirror will have 100 user too right? And if i add 1 more user to MASTER domain will
Mirror Domain automatic update user for 100 to 101 user or what? and if Mirror Domain doesn’t automatic
update to 101 user i have to replicate it again?
REPLY
Anupam Choudhary
JULY 12, 2018 AT 11:49 AM
Hi , I did the same, except while on the Additional Options page, selected to replicate from any domain
controller instead select one with which to replicate
My concern is that when i m turning Primary controller down then secondary server also stopped working. I
am able to login into secondary server but getting error while opening ad user and computers.
Any solution on this.

REPLY
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5/23/2020 Active Directory Replication on Windows Server 2012 – BestServerSupport Blog

Active Directory Replication on Windows Server 2012

DC along with the Domain, and then click Next.

Here we are done with the basic configurations.

Now to Verify Active Directory Replication perform following steps:

Any solution on this.

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