How domain joined pc look for random domain controller if domain controllers in one site totally down

Marcus Wong Theen Nam 1,091 Reputation points
2021-06-14T12:21:28+00:00

Just trying to understand more on this, assume that we have two AD site, site A and site B. Each site has two domain controllers with DNS. For client machine in each site the DNS server entries are configured for the site domain controllers. For example:

Site A is having domain controller 1 and 2. Site B is having domain controller 3 and 4. User machine is site A is configured with DNS server entries of domain controller 1 and 2. Then for site B machine the DNS is configured for domain controller 3 and 4.

In this case, if site A both domain controllers were down and the user machine in site A can still ping to site B domain controller. How the user machine look for domain controllers in site B automatically since both the DNS server entries were down? Will the machine cache the list of domain controllers in the first place during the DNS record lookup?

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Windows: A family of Microsoft operating systems that run across personal computers, tablets, laptops, phones, internet of things devices, self-contained mixed reality headsets, large collaboration screens, and other devices.DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). A communications protocol that lets network administrators manage centrally and automate the assignment of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses in an organization's network.
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  1. Dave Patrick 426.1K Reputation points MVP
    2021-06-14T12:29:57.76+00:00

    You can read here about the domain controller location process.
    https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ask-the-directory-services-team/domain-locator-across-a-forest-trust/ba-p/395689

    --please don't forget to upvote and Accept as answer if the reply is helpful--

  2. Vicky Wang 2,646 Reputation points
    2021-06-15T08:14:53.073+00:00

    Hi,
    I am glad to hear that your issue was successfully resolved. If there is anything else we can do for you, please feel free to post in the forum.
    Best Regards,
    Vicky

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