# Solved: Exchange "Failed to connect to the Schema Master server"



## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

I'm trying to install Exchange 2003 on a forest that's never had Exchange on it before. The domain controller, which will also host Exchange, is running Windows 2003 Server SP2. When I try to run the forestprep or domainprep, I get the error "Failed to connect to the Schema Master server" (see attachment).

dcdiag also shows some interesting errors. Also attached.

Thanks for any ideas!


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## skinnywhiteboy (Jan 26, 2001)

TechGuy said:


> I'm trying to install Exchange 2003 on a forest that's never had Exchange on it before. The domain controller, which will also host Exchange, is running Windows 2003 Server SP2. When I try to run the forestprep or domainprep, I get the error "Failed to connect to the Schema Master server" (see attachment).
> 
> dcdiag also shows some interesting errors. Also attached.
> 
> Thanks for any ideas!


Is your new Exchange Server a Member server at this point? It should be.


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

No, it's actually the Domain Controller. For fun, we tried installing it on a Member Server anyway (and I know that's preferred method anyway), but got the same error.


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## skinnywhiteboy (Jan 26, 2001)

Okay how many DC's in your environment? Are they all on the same LAN or at different locations??


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

Only two servers on this network -- one Member Server and one Domain Controller. Both on the same LAN (even in the same rack).


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## rhynes (Aug 14, 2006)

Is this the dcdiag from the Domain controller or the exchange server? Post the dcdiag and netdiag results from both servers if both are now DC's.

Check your dns records, there may be an orphaned IP assigned to your new server name when you brought it online before it was set static. Caused alot of issues for me in the past. 

What does nslookup say from each server? Correct results?

Who are you logging in as on the new exchange server? Is it the admin or a user for exchange? If exchange user, is there a matching user/pass in the AD?


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

We want to run Exchange from the Domain Controller, so I don't think the dcdiag from the other server is really relevant (and I won't be on-site there again for a week). The dcdiag I uploaded is from the Domain Controller.

We're logging in as Enterprise and Domain Admin when trying to install. nslookup comes back correctly, and DNS looks fine. It's interesting to note that whoever originally installed this server named it DOMAIN-CONTROLLER. Because that's longer than NETBIOS allows, it's sometimes referred to as DOMAIN-CONTROLL. Originally, DNS didn't exist for this name, which resulted in some other network errors in the past. That's been corrected (simply by adding that to the DNS). I don't know if that's related, but just thought I'd mention it.

Thanks!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Wouldn't it be prudent to rename it to a NETBIOS friendly name?


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## Memnoch322 (May 11, 2005)

Are you running eveything from Administrator account or an account with domain admin rights? What kind of security software is running on the server?


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## rtty (May 11, 2003)

From the dialog box, it appears there's no longer a schema master in the forest.
Open a command prompt and execute NETDOM QUERY FSMO on the domain controller to verify if it holds the schema master FSMO role.

How to transfer or sieze schema master FSMO role. 
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255504
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/255690/EN-US/

Netdom.exe can be found on Windows server 2003 CD in support folder.


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## Memnoch322 (May 11, 2005)

rtty said:


> From the dialog box, it appears there's no longer a schema master in the forest.
> Open a command prompt and execute NETDOM QUERY FSMO on the domain controller to verify if it holds the schema master FSMO role.
> 
> How to transfer or sieze schema master FSMO role.
> ...


Thats a good Idea, I just assumed the sense this was the only DC in the forest and that the only other server is a member, that all the operations would be running correctly on the DC. Has there ever been a different machine that had been a DC and not demoted correctly?


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

I'm not aware of any servers that were once on the network and no longer are, but that's certainly possible -- I've just walked into this one recently.

Also, I don't think up I'm up for the adventure of renaming it unless completely necessary. 

I'll check out the schema master seize next time I'm up there.


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

I ended up going through and checking everything, including seizing Master Server. I did find a mistake in the DNS that I used netdiag to fix. Unfortunately, that's only gotten me a step further. Now I get:

"Failed to obtain a list of naming contexts from Domain Controller DOMAIN-CONTROLL. Please verify that you have sufficient permissions to access Active Directory on that Domain Controller."

Anyone have any ideas as to what permissions it may be looking for?


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## TechGuy (Feb 12, 1999)

I'm on location right now and am so excited that I finally get to mark this one solved... I ended up raising the forest and domain level to Windows 2003 and then ran netdom to add an alternative name to the server...

netdom computername CurrentComputerName /add:NewComputerName

ForestPrep and DomainPrep both finished fine, and setup is running as I type this... woo hoo!


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## JohnWill (Oct 19, 2002)

Glad you solved it, because it should be apparent that none of us had any idea!


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