Suppose you have one domain controller in your network. In that case, you may wonder how to add a new domain controller to an existing domain to avoid discontinuity in case of server failure. When you add new domain controllers to an existing domain, they replicate the active directory database with each other. If the primary domain controller fails, you can use the second domain controller to respond to authentication requests and perform the DC’s tasks. Overall, multiple domain controllers increase fault tolerance and load balancing. The following article will elaborate on the steps required for adding a new domain controller to an existing domain in Windows Server 2022.

To demonstrate it in detail, I have two servers (SR1-technig and SR2-technig) running Windows Server 2022. The SR1-technig server acts as a primary server and is also a domain controller. Since the SR1-technig is already a domain controller, I will add the new domain controller in the SR2-technig server and make both SR1-technig and SR2-technig domain controllers.

Step One: Join your server in the domain

At first, I will join the SR2-technig (The second server) to the domain and make it a member of the primary domain controller. To do that, I need to assign the IP address of the existing domain controller to the DNS of the second server that I want to make a domain controller.

1. Open Server Manager, and click on the Local Server option on the left-hand side.
2. In the Local Server window, click on IP Address (Ethernet)

3. Double-click on the network to that you are connected.
4. In the Ethernet Status window, click on Properties.

5. Double-click on Internet Protocol Version 4.

6. Set your DNS Server address manually to the IP address of the domain controller you want to join. Click OK.

7. Close the windows and return to the local server window.
8. In the Local Server Window, click on WORKGROUP to join a domain.
9. On the system properties, click on the Change button.
10. Check the domain box, write the domain name you want to join, and click OK.

11. Provide the credential and click ok.
12. Restart your computer.

Step Two: Install Active Directory Domain Services

In the second step, you need to install the Active Directory Domain Services on the server you want to promote to the domain controller.

1. Click on Manage > Add Roles and Features in the server manager window.
2. Click next on the before you begin Wizard.
3. Select the installation type and click next: Role-based and Feature-based installation.
4. After selecting the destination server, click next.
5. Find the Active Directory Domain Services Roles and, select it, click Add features.

6. Click on the Next button till the installation button activates.
7. Finally, confirm the installation and click on the Install button. The installation takes a few seconds.

Related: How to Install Active Directory Using PowerShell on Windows Server 2022

Step Three: Promote the Server to Domain Controller

Now that your server is a member of the domain controller and you have installed the Active Directory Domain Services roles in your server. It is time to promote or add the new domain controller to the existing domain.

1. In the Server Manager screen, click on the notification flag next to the Manage.
2. Click on the Promote this Server to Domain Controller to open the DC’s promotion wizard.

3. In the Deployment Configuration wizard, select the deployment operation. I CHOOSE THE FIRST OPTION since I add a new domain controller to an existing domain.

4. Specify the domain information: you can click on the Select button next to the text box, select your domain name, and click Ok. If you are already a member of the domain controller, it automatically finds the domain name.
5. After selecting the domain name, click on the Change button to provide credentials to perform the task. Click next.

6. Specify the domain controller capabilities. The DNS server, Global Catalog, and Site Name are already selected by default. I provide the Active Directory Services Restore Mode password and click next.

7. Click the next button to pass the DNS options wizard.
8. Specify from which domain controller it should replicate the Active Directory database, and click next.

9. Although I can change the location of the AD DS database and log files, I keep its default location and click next.
10. After reviewing the configuration, click Next.
11. The Prerequisites Check verifies the prerequisites for domain controller operation. If the prerequisites checks passed successfully, click on the Install button.
12. The installation will complete after a few seconds, and your server will restart automatically.

How to check if the new domain controller has been added?

After installing the Active Directory Domain Services and promoting it to the domain controller, you can check whether the domain controller has been added successfully or not.

1. In the server manager window, click on Tools management.
2. Click on Active Directory Users and Computers.
3. Expand the domain and click on the Domain Controllers Organizational Unit.

You will see the domain controller(s) in your current domain.

Conclusions

To conclude, we talked about the steps required for adding a new domain controller to an existing domain in Windows Server 2022. You can share your thoughts and questions in the comment section of this page.

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Here you just learn about backup and restore Group Policy Object in Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. This method works the same for other Windows server as well. Group policy objects backup will helps you protect GPOs configuration. It is easy to create and edit group policy object from Group Policy Management on Windows Server. But takes to much time to completely configure the settings of each GPOs. Having a backup save you time and effort to reconfigure settings of a new GPO.

Backup and Restore Group Policy Object

To back up the created GPO in Windows Server, navigate to Group Policy Management console from server dashboard or type ‘gpmc.msc‘ in windows run and then press enter to open the Group Policy Management Console.

1. Type “gpmc.msc” on run and press enter to open the group policy management console.
2. Expand the domain and your domain name.
3. Now, expand the Group Policy Objects to see all GPOs created by you.

4. In Group Policy Management expand the domain name and group policy objects in order to see all created objects.

5. To create a backup from all GOPs, right-click the Group Policy Objects and click Back up all. 

Remember, this will backup all modified and non-modified GPOs which you have created for the domain. The other configuration like linked objects, Enforced, and Block Inheritance to domain organizational units will not back up. The full configuration back up just done a full system back up with Windows backup services.

6. Now in Back Up Group Policy Object page, click Browse and choose wherever to want to save backups and type some description in the description box, then click Back Up button.

7. Good, the backup task was accomplished successfully. Let’s check how do we can restore the deleted GPO from backup data.

Restore Group Policy Object

To restore GPO, right-click the Group Policy Objects and click Manage Backups. In the Manage Backups page brows to the backup directory or location on the hard disk.

You see backup contents in GPO backup folder. But if you want to restore a policy object, select GPO and click Restore button.

Click OK, if ask you ‘Do you want to restore the selected backup? and selected backup will restore the Group Policy Objects.

Now you can link and apply it to your OUs in your domain.

Hope this helps you solve the backup and restore of group policy object on Windows server. If you have any issue, just write us in the comment box.

The post Backup & Restore Group Policy Objects in Windows Server 2016 appeared first on TECHNIG.