Metadata Cleanup

Description:
Metadata cleanup, this task is performed when we want to remove data that identifies a Domain Controller for replication in Active directory environment.

We will be using ntdsutil.exe to perform this task.

ntdsutil.exe is a command line tool which is autometically installed on all domain controllers.

Domain Controllers running on windows 2003 SP1, metadata cleanup also removes 'File Replication Service' (FRS) connection and attempts to transfer or seize any Operation Master roles that retired domain controller holds.

Procedure:

1. Start > Run
2. type cmd to open command prompt.
3. type ntdsutil
   this will change prompt to ntdsutil:
4. ntdsutil: metadata cleanup
5. metadata cleanup: connection
6. server connections: connect to server (e.g., dc001.domain.local)
   some novice users will think which server to connect, it will be the DC from which you want to remove data. mostly it will be the default DC which is created when we setup AD, or in some scenarios this utility is used when we seize roles.
   after we initiate 'connect to server' we will be connected and prompt will return to 'server connections'
7. server connections: quit
   we will get back to 'metadata cleanup' prompt.
8. metadata cleanup: select operation target
9. select oepration target: list sites
   this will give us all the sites that we have in ADSS (active directory sites and service) along with numerical values prefixed, this numerical value will be used in next step.
   e.g.,
   0-CN=default-first-site-name,CN=sites,CN=configuration,DC=domain,DC=local
   
10. select operation target: select site
11. select operation target: list domains in site
    again we will get numerical values prefixed with domains we have in list
    e.g., 0 - DC=domain,DC=local
12. select operation target: select domain
13. select operation target: list servers in site
    this will give us numerical value prefixed list of servers that we have in our domain and site that we selected.
14. select operation target: select server
15. select operation target: quit
16. metadata cleanup: remove selected server

This will remove DC data from AD.

again you will be given prompt at metadata cleanup: go ahead and type quit and again quit when you are given ntdsutil: prompt.

This is how DC data is remove from AD successfully.

Hope this article helped you, thanks for reading.
I apologies for mistakes in my article if any.
Comments are most welcome.

Regards,
Wasim.