Active Directory Cookbook

12.4. Forcing Replication from One Domain Controller to Another

Problem

You want to force replication between two partners.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Open the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in.

2. Browse to the NTDS Setting object for the domain controller you want to replicate to.

3. In the right pane, right-click on the connection object to the domain controller you want to replicate from and select Replicate Now.

Using a command-line interface

The following command will perform a replication sync of the naming context specified by <NamingContextDN> from <DC2Name> to <DC1Name>:

> repadmin /replicate <DC1Name> <DC2Name> <NamingContextDN>

The Windows 2000 version of repadmin has a different syntax to accomplish the same thing. Here is the equivalent syntax:

> repadmin /sync <NamingContextDN> <DC1Name> <DC2GUID>

Using VBScript

' This code initiates a replication event between two DCs
' for a naming context
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strDC1Name = "<DC1Name>"   ' e.g. dc1 
strDC2Name = "<DC2Name>"   ' e.g. dc2
strNamingContextDN = "<NamingContextDN>"  ' e.g. dc=rallencorp,dc=com
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

set objIadsTools = CreateObject("IADsTools.DCFunctions")
intRes = objIadsTools.ReplicaSync(Cstr(strDC1Name),_
                                  Cstr(strNamingContextDN),_ 
                                  Cstr(strDC2Name), 0, 0)
if intRes = -1 then
   Wscript.Echo "Error: " & objIadsTools.LastErrorText
else
   WScript.Echo "Replication intitiated from " & strDC2Name & _
                " to " & strDC1Name
end if

Discussion

Each solution shows how ...