Active Directory Cookbook

3.19. Finding the Global Catalog Servers in a Forest

Problem

You want a list of the global catalog servers in a forest.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Open LDP and from the menu select Connection → Connect.

2. For Server, enter the name of a DC.

3. For Port, enter 389.

4. Click OK.

5. From the menu select Connection → Bind.

6. Enter credentials of a domain user.

7. Click OK.

8. From the menu select Browse → Search.

9. For BaseDN, type the DN of the Sites container (e.g., cn=sites,cn=configuration,dc=rallencorp, dc=com).

10. For Scope, select Subtree.

11. For Filter, enter (&(objectcategory=ntdsdsa)(options=1)).

12. Click Run.

Using a command-line interface

> dsquery server -forest -isgc

Using VBScript

' This code prints the global catalog servers for the specified forest.
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strForestName = "<ForestDNSName>" ' e.g. rallencorp.com ' ------ END CONFIGURATION --------- set objRootDSE = GetObject("LDAP://" & strForestName & "/" & "RootDSE") strADsPath = "<LDAP://" & objRootDSE.Get("configurationNamingContext") & ">;" strFilter = "(&(objectcategory=ntdsdsa)(options=1));" strAttrs = "distinguishedname;" strScope = "SubTree" set objConn = CreateObject("ADODB.Connection") objConn.Provider = "ADsDSOObject" objConn.Open "Active Directory Provider" set objRS = objConn.Execute(strADsPath & strFilter & strAttrs & strScope) objRS.MoveFirst while not objRS.EOF set objNTDS = GetObject("LDAP://" & objRS.Fields(0).Value) set objServer = GetObject( objNTDS.Parent ) Wscript.Echo objServer.Get("dNSHostName") ...