Domain name is an of import role of the Agile Directory Domain Services (AD DS), the directory service provided by Microsoft Windows Server for Windows domain networks. Withal, in some circumstances, it's warranted to change the name of the domain. For example, when corporate underwent merger or takeover, change of company name, wanted to match Advertisement domain name with Internet FQDN (fully qualified domain name) or simply wanted to continue upward with best practice to manage the Active Directory.

Since Windows Server 2000, the tool to rename domains is the control-line utility called Domain Rename Tool (Rendom). In Windows Server 2000 and Windows Server 2003, Rendom has to be manually installed. Rendom is included on the operating system CD, or available as a free download from Microsoft. In Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2012 R2 and future versions of Windows Server, Rendom is congenital into domain controllers promoted to "Agile Directory Domain Services" role, or as part of Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). Rendom can be found at %windir%\System32\rendom.exe.

This tutorial provides a unproblematic guide on renaming a domain proper noun, be it FQDN (fully qualified domain name i.e. ad.techjourney.net) or NetBIOS (i.e. TECHJOURNEY) from a Windows Server 2012 which acts every bit a Command Station. It should works on all Windows Server from Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 / R2, Windows Server 2012 / R2, to future editions such every bit Windows Server 2014 or Windows Server 2015. It doesn't matter which versions the domain controllers are running, but if they're running older Windows Server, it'southward recommended to raise forest functional level to latest available.

Earlier renaming domain, it's important to review the following documents to better your understanding and brand essential preparations ahead of domain rename operations, specially if you take Certification Authorities and Microsoft Substitution servers.

  • How Domain Rename Works
  • Checklists for the Domain Rename Operation
  • Preparing for the Domain Rename Operation
  • Performing the Domain Rename Performance
  • Completing the Domain Rename Operation

In this tutorial, we'll rename a domain proper noun in AD forest with domain controller running Windows Server 2012. Fill-in the domain controllers before proceeding, and ensure that you can restore domain controllers to original state if something goes wrong. If your DCs are running in virtual machines powered by Hyper-5 or VMWare, take snapshots.

  1. Verify the existing domain name in Organisation Properties (Control Panel -> System and Security -> Organization), and that information technology's different from the domain name that you lot desire to modify to.

    Domain Name in System Properties

  2. Fix a domain member server in the wood which is NOT a domain controller (DC) as the authoritative Control Station where the entire domain renaming process will exist washed. If your AD is simple, i.e. has only 1 DC, you may skip this step (at your own risk) and perform the remainder of the rename domain operations directly on the DC itself.

    Logon to a non-DC fellow member server, open Server Director -> Manage -> Add Roles and Features.

    Add Roles and Features

    Add the Active Directory Domain Services, and also add together the features that are required together with the management tools.

    Control Station with AD DS

    IMPORTANT: DO Non configure and promote the server meant equally Control Station to a domain controller after installing the AD DS role. The purpose of installing the function is to make available the rendom.exe and gpfixup.exe utilities essential in domain renaming.

    Install Control Station for Renaming Domain

    If yous don't have to install the consummate "Active Directory Domain Services" role, it's possible to just add together the AD DS Snap-Ins and Command-Line Tools under Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT) -> Advertizing DS and Advertising LDS Tools -> Advertisement ADS Tools which is office of Features.
  3. In Server Director, click on Tools -> DNS to open up DNS Manager. Notation that you may need to perform DNS configuration in DC if your Control Station does not have DNS Manager installed.

    DNS Manager

  4. In the DNS Manager, right click on Forrad Lookup Zone and select New Zone to create the new DNS zone for the new domain, where the new DNS records volition exist created in the zone as soon every bit rename is performed.

    New DNS Zone

    Select Primary Zone every bit "Zone Type".

    New Primary DNS Zone

    On the "Active Directory Zone Replication Scope", select To all DNS servers running on domain controllers in this domain: sometime-domain.com.

    AD Zone Replication Scope

    Enter your new domain proper name, due east.g. ad.new-domain.com in the "Zone Name".

    New DNS Zone Name

    On "Dynamic Update", select Allow only secure dynamic updates (recommended for Agile Directory).

    DNS Dynamic Update

    Once the New Zone Sorcerer is completed, you lot will be able to meet your new DNS zone for your new domain name in the DNS Managing director.

    New DNS Zone

  5. If you lot are using Folder Redirection or roaming user profiles (and the dwelling directories) on a network location by using a domain-based, Distributed File Organization (DFS) namespace, considering to relocate the network paths for them before the domain rename functioning. The domain proper name change invalidates the path to this domain-based namespace, and Folder Redirection or roaming user profiles that employ this path stop working.

    Note that you but need to change the path of domain-based DFS namespace if the blazon of name of domain (i.e. NetBIOS or FQDN fully qualified domain name) used by namespace in the configuration is changed. Refer to TechNet for more information.

  6. Of import: Backup all domain controllers before proceeding with renaming the Advertizement domain name.

    In the Control Station (domain fellow member server), open a Command Prompt as Administrator. Then run the following command to instruct rendom to contact DC which owns the domain naming operations master role to generate a state file named Domainlist.xml which contains current forest configurations and domain structures, namely ForestDNSZones, DomainDNSZones and NetBios details.

    rendom /list

    rendom /list

    You tin change directory (CD) to a user-friendly path location to access the files generated by rendom.

    Locate Domainlist.xml file and edit it.

    Edit Domanlist.xml

    Supplant all existing domain name with new domain name, including the NetBIOS proper name if information technology's inverse. Salve the file when washed.

    Domainlist.xml

    Back in the Command Prompt, type the following command to verify the new configuration. The control does not make whatsoever changes however.

    rendom /showforest

    Generate the directory update instructions specified in Domainlist.xml and upload the resultant domain rename instructions to the configuration directory sectionalization at the domain controller that is currently the domain naming operations chief for the woods:

    rendom /upload

    The domain rename instructions are replicated to all other domain controllers in the forest through normal replication of the configuration directory division. If you take multiple DCs, it's recommended to proceed to execute the rename instructions only after these rename instructions replicate to every domain controller in the forest.

    This step will besides freeze the forest configuration from certain types of changes, such equally add-on/removal of domains, addition/removal of DCs and addition/removal of trusts were not immune inside the forest.

    You tin can track the state of all domain controllers in a Domain Rename State File named DcList.xml which is automatically generated and updated by rendom.exe tool. At this point, the state should be Initial.

    DcList.xml and DNSRecords.txt
    DcList.xml and DNSRecords.txt files are generated automatically in the folder which rendom.exe control was ran, providing disquisitional info nigh the domain name modify.

    DcList.xml
    DcList.xml provides a listing of all domain controllers detected in the forest, and their domren country respectively.

    If replication is not completed nevertheless, force the synchronization of changes fabricated on domain naming principal to all DCs with the following command:
    repadmin.exe /syncall /d /e /P /q                        DomainNamingMaster-HostName                      

    Verify the readiness of every domain controllers in the forest to perform the domain name modify. After this command, the State in DcList.xml is changed to "Prepared". All domain controllers must be in Prepared state before domain renaming tin can be executed.

    rendom /set

    Rendom /ShowForest /Upload /Prepare

    Execute the domain name alter on all DCs:

    rendom /execute

    Rendom /Prepare /Execute

    Subsequently the execution control is issued, the Active Directory Domain Services may experience interruption. In one case the process is completed, the domain controllers volition automatically reboot. At the betoken where execution of domain rename instructions are completed, the state in DcList.xml on the Command Station server for all DC servers is changed to Done.

    On some DC servers or when logon to some DC servers, you may see the bulletin that "you're almost to be signed off, the Directory Service is shutting downwards." Regardless of whether you lot click on Close or not, DC volition automatically restart.

    You're About to Be Signed Off

  7. After the DC restarted, logon to the DC using the NEW domain proper name.

    If you're seeing the computer is suggesting you that login is done using the old domain name, information technology'due south just the example of remembering the last user business relationship logged in.

  8. Make the Control Station server (where rendom commands are issued) aware of the domain name change by logging on and restarting the server using Power, Shutdown or sign out, or Log Off push twice. Reboot only after all domain controllers in the wood support and online. This allows us to continue working on Command Station server, otherwise it will continue to perform changes on the old domain instead of new domain.

    When logging into Command Station, employ NEW domain proper name.

    Why restart domain fellow member estimator twice? Yous may exist puzzled why several steps require you to reboot domain member servers, workstations or computers for ii time. The reason is straightforward. First time allows the domain fellow member to detect the domain proper name alter, and change the full computer name and domain itself, while the second time is to register the new figurer name in the new DNS zone.
  9. At Control Station, ready the linkages and objects of GPOs to reference new domain name. Else, Consequence ID 1006 from GroupPolicy source volition be logged in Consequence Viewer.

    Skip the following footstep if you're non renaming FQDN (fully qualified domain name) of the domain, else:

    gpfixup /olddns:old-domain.local /newdns:new-domain.com

    GPFixUp DNS

    Skip the following step if you're non renaming NetBIOS name of the domain, else:

    gpfixup /oldnb:Old-NetBIOS /newnb:NEW-NetBIOS

    GPFixUp NetBIOS

    To sync and replicate group policy fix-up changes that are fabricated on a domain controller instantly, employ:
    repadmin.exe /syncall /d /e /P /q D                        DC-HostName                        NewDomainDN                      

    Where NewDomainName is dc=domain,dc=com.

  10. The hostname (full computer proper name) and domain of domain controllers usually do not become automatically renamed by rebooting twice. To rename domain controllers, use the following commands:
    netdom computername                      old.reckoner.proper name                      /add together:new.computer.name                      netdom computername                      old.computer.name                      /makeprimary:new.computer.name                    

    Supersede old.computer.name and new.computer.name with FQDN of the server in new domain.

    Rename Domain Controller with Netdom

    Reboot the domain controller.

    Echo the renaming process for all domain controllers in the forest.

    Information technology's non recommended to use the GUI (aka System Properties) to rename the domain controllers
  11. At present it's time to reboot for TWO (ii) times all domain member computers, workstations and servers that are joined to the renamed domain. Logging into the figurer and restart using Power, Shutdown or sign out, or Log Off push button twice. Perform this step only after all domain controllers are back upwards and online.

    Rebooting non-DC computers twice ensures that all domain computers learns the new domain name and also propagates to all applications running on the computers.

    When logging into domain fellow member afterwards restarting or for those just booting up, use NEW domain name.

    For any remote computers that connect to the renamed domain through a remote connectedness, such as dial-upwards and virtual private network (VPN), you'll need to unjoin and and then join the new domain.
  12. If you're using domain-based DFS namespaces, and the domain proper name alter rendered the existing path invalid, and then update the orphaned path in roaming user profiles and Folder Redirection.

    Folder Redirection
    Changing Folder Redirection in Group Policy Management.

    Roaming User Profile and Remote Desktop Services Profile
    Changing domain-based DFS path in roaming user profiles and Remote Desktop Services profiles in user business relationship properties.

    Y'all may run into the following messages indicating the pointing to the existing abode folders:

    The \\new-domain.com\habitation-folder was not created already exists. Do you want this user to exist granted full control of this folder?

    Home Folder Already Exists

    The \\new-domain.com\home-folder home directory was not created because it already exists. You might want to select a different proper name, or make certain that user has full access privileges to the existing one.

    Home Directory Was Not Created

    After the domain name alter performance is completed, DFS will automatically update to namespaces to reflect the new NetBIOS and/or FQDN domain proper name. Just launch the DFS Management, and click on the namespaces once, wait for the changes to exist effected.
  13. In Control Station server, clean up the references and attributes of old domain name from Advert, and unfreeze the forest configuration to permit further changes with the post-obit command:
    rendom /make clean

    Rendom /Clean

    Important: If you lot run rendom /make clean command and in that location are members that have not been rebooted twice you lot will have to rejoin them to the domain. Once rendom /make clean control is executed, old domain name, including all values of ms-DS-DnsRootAlias from the domain name operations master, is removed from Activate Directory rendering those computers inaccessible to the new domain.

    "rendom /clean" includes all the tasks performed by "rendom /end", which is to connect to the DC property the domain naming principal function and removes the attribute msDS-UpdateScript on the Partitions container, and and so unfreeze the forest configuration. So the later on command may be redundant if you lot don't require to perform some tasks that require change to forest configuration.
  14. Lastly, open DNS Director to delete the quondam domain DNS zone, including _msdcs zone for the former domain that existed as a separate zone, i.eastward. under Forward Lookup Zones.

    You can likewise view the domain member computers re-listed under the new domain.

  15. Remove the Active Directory Domain Services role and related features and management tools from Control Station if applicable.

Based on your Active Directory Domain Services configuration and arrangement environment, yous may need to perform more steps and troubleshoot some issues. Hither are some mutual problems and tasks:

  • Stop and offset the DHCP services running on domain controllers.
  • Change all path that is using domain-based DFS namespaces especially in roaming user profiles and Folder Redirection, and etc.
  • Alter the license servers for Remote Desktop Services to reflect the new domain.
  • Fix Citrix XenApp discovery fault due to data store's database connection event.
  • Change or re-add the administrators, configured user accounts that immune access to published application, or user accounts used to filter in policies to reflect new domain users or groups in Citrix XenApp and etc.

    Add Users to the Published Applications in XenApp

Merely basically, the domain rename is concluded, and you should have a working Advertisement on new domain name.