Domain Naming FSMO role did not respond

[This topic is intended to address a specific issue called out by the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool. You should apply it only to systems that have had the Exchange Server Analyzer Tool run against them and are experiencing that specific issue. The Exchange Server Analyzer Tool, available as a free download, remotely collects configuration data from each server in the topology and automatically analyzes the data. The resulting report details important configuration issues, potential problems, and nondefault product settings. By following these recommendations, you can achieve better performance, scalability, reliability, and uptime. For more information about the tool or to download the latest versions, see "Microsoft Exchange Analyzers" at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=34707.]  

Topic Last Modified: 2005-11-17

The Microsoft® Exchange Server Analyzer Tool queries the Active Directory® directory service to determine the value of the fSMORoleOwner attribute of the domain naming operations master in the Configuration Naming Context. For example, in a domain called contoso.com, fSMORoleOwner for the domain naming operations master is an attribute of CN=Partitions,CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com. The Exchange Server Analyzer then tries to open a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) connection to TCP port 389 on the domain controller that currently holds this role. If the Exchange Server Analyzer cannot connect to this domain controller, an error is displayed.

The domain naming master is a forest-wide operations master role because it manages the addition and removal of all directory partitions, regardless of domain, in the forest hierarchy. The domain controller that has the domain naming master role is the only domain controller that can do the following:

  • Add new domains to the forest.

  • Remove existing domains from the forest.

  • Add or remove cross-reference objects to external directories.

There can be only one domain naming master in the whole forest.

To correct this error

  1. Verify that the directory server specified in the error is online and accessible by Exchange servers in your organization.

  2. If this directory server has been decommissioned, you must assign the domain naming master role to another domain controller.

For more information about transferring the domain naming operations master role from one domain controller to another domain controller, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles: