My only HP Proliant DL165 domain controller has hit a hardware issue and won't power back on. It's an outdated server, and HP isn't providing support for it anymore. We were transitioning to some new Dell servers for our primary and backup domain controllers, but unfortunately, we didn't perform any Active Directory backups other than for shared files. I'm wondering if it's feasible to set up another domain controller and what the potential downsides could be?
2 Answers
With no backups and a single domain controller, you're in a tough spot. I recommend looking for second-hand parts online to repair your server, or consider building a new domain controller from scratch. Just keep in mind, if you go the new DC route, you're basically starting fresh – new user accounts, permissions, and policies. It’ll be a lot of work, but at least you'll get a chance to set it up correctly this time!
You’re pretty limited without a backup. If you can, find a used server that matches the one that failed. If the drives are still good, just pop them into the new server, but make sure the RAID setup is the same if you were using one. If only a few users are on the domain, you could log into each machine with cached credentials and reset local admin accounts to move them off the dead domain. Otherwise, you’ll likely need a new server with a new Active Directory setup.
Sounds like a solid plan. Just make sure to check the RAID configuration. If it’s RAID 1+0, you should be able to get the drives working in a new system!