Configure a Preferred Domain Controller

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2

Applies to: Active Directory Migration Tool 3.2 (ADMT 3.2)

The Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) provides the option for you to select the source and target domain controller to be used for a migration instead of relying on the domain controller Locator (DC Locator) to select them.

The Domain Selection page, which all ADMT wizards contain, now provides a way for you to select explicit source and target domain controllers. Only a writable domain controller can be selected as preferred domain controller.

As an alternative, you can select Any domain controller in the drop-down list. If you specify a domain controller, that domain controller will be used if it is available. If you select Any domain controller, ADMT queries for a preferred domain controller. If a preferred domain controller has not been configured, ADMT uses DC Locator to locate a domain controller in the specified domain.

You can also specify a preferred domain controller by using the admt config command-line option. You must configure source and target domain controllers independently. After you configure a preferred domain controller, ADMT determines its validity and availability and uses it automatically every time that you run ADMT.

Note

When you perform an intraforest migration, the domain controller that holds the relative ID (RID) operations master (also known as flexible single master operations or FSMO) role is always used by default. If you select a domain controller other than the RID master as the preferred domain controller, ADMT overrides your selection and always uses the RID master.

To configure a preferred domain controller in the source domain

• At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

  admt config setdomaincontroller /Domain:<DomainName> /sdc:<SourceDomainController>

Value	Description
DomainName	Specifies the name of an Active Directory domain.
SourceDomainController	Specifies the computer name of a domain controller in the source domain.

To configure a preferred domain controller in the target domain

• At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

  admt config setdomaincontroller /Domain:<DomainName> /tdc:<TargetDomainController>

Value	Description
DomainName	Specifies the name of an Active Directory domain.
TargetDomainController	Specifies the computer name of a domain controller in the target domain.

You can also clear the preferred domain controller that you have configured in the source or target domain.

To clear preferred domain controllers in a specified domain

• At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

  admt config cleardomaincontrollers /Domain:<DomainName>

Value	Description
DomainName	Specifies the name of an Active Directory domain.

You can also display the preferred domain controllers that you have configured in the source or target domain.

To display preferred domain controllers that you have configured

• At a command prompt, type the following command, and then press ENTER:

  admt config getdomaincontrollers