Identify the PDC emulator

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To identify the PDC emulator

  • Using the Windows interface

  • Using a command line

Using the Windows interface

  1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. Right-click the domain node, and then click Operations Masters.

  3. On the PDC tab, under Operations masters, view the operations masters that will serve as the PDC emulator.

Notes

  • Performing this task does not require you to have administrative credentials. Therefore, as a security best practice, consider performing this task as a user without administrative credentials.

  • To open Active Directory Users and Computers, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  • Every domain has only one PDC emulator master. To identify the PDC emulator in a different domain, target the appropriate domain before clicking Operations Masters.

Using a command line

  1. Open Command Prompt.

  2. Type:

    dsquery server -hasfsmo pdc

Value Description

-hasfsmo

Finds the domain controller (server object) that currently holds the requested operations masters role.

pdc

Requests the PDC emulator master of the current domain.

Notes

  • Performing this task does not require you to have administrative credentials. Therefore, as a security best practice, consider performing this task as a user without administrative credentials.

  • To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Directory service command-line tools
Working with MMC console files
Operations master roles
Responding to operations master failures
Command-line reference A-Z