Domain Controller no longer replicating Pt. 1 “Replication has been explicitly disabled”

Issue: Domain Controller in Los Angeles site hasn’t replicated for over a month

The first step is to run DCDIAG from the command prompt (right click run as administrator).  Amongst other errors DCDIAG reveals that Inbound and Outbound Replication is Disabled:
Inbound Outbound Replication is Disabled

Testing server: LosAngeles\STAR
Starting test: Replications
[Replications Check,STAR] Inbound replication is disabled.
To correct, run “repadmin /options STAR -DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL”
[Replications Check,STAR] Outbound replication is disabled.
To correct, run “repadmin /options STAR -DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL”
……………………. STAR failed test Replications

Replication explicitly disabled DCDIAG error:

Replication explicitly disabled failures occurred since last success

[Replications Check,MOON] A recent replication attempt failed:
From STAR to MOON
Naming Context: CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=contoso,DC=com
The replication generated an error (8456):
The source server is currently rejecting replication requests.
The failure occurred at 2012-11-28 12:49:37.
The last success occurred at 2012-10-10 02:49:53.
4748 failures have occurred since the last success.
Replication has been explicitly disabled through the server options.

Resolution: Enable inbound and outbound replication

(per Microsoft: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc783692(v=ws.10).aspx)

  1. Open a Command Prompt.
  2. Type the following command, and then press ENTER (where SERVERNAME is the computer name of the Domain Controller):
    repadmin /options SERVERNAME -DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL
  3. Verify the new replication ‘option’, the following message should appear:
    Current DC options: DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL
    New DC Options: <none>
  4. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
    repadmin /options SERVERNAME -DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
  5. Verify the new replication ‘option’, the following message should appear:
    Current DC options: DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
    New DC Options: <none>

Here is an example, notice “Current DC Options” shows the conditions that were in effect at the time that you ran the command.  New DC Options shows the effect of the command, see how the ‘Disable Replication Option’ is not set:DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL

repadmin /options STAR -DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL
Current DC Options: IS_GC DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
New DC Options: IS_GC DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL

repadmin /options STAR -DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
Current DC Options: IS_GC DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
New DC Options: IS_GC

The output shows that “DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL” and “DISABLE_INBOUND_REPL” have been cleared and only “IS_GC” remains, indicating this DC is a global catalog server.

In conclusion, the “Replication has been explicitly disabled through the server options” error has now been resolved.  However in my case, replication was still not working because there were additional issues.  Continued in part two in this series: Domain Controller Stops Replicating Pt. 2 – “[WARNING] Failed to query SPN registration on DC”

6 thoughts on “Domain Controller no longer replicating Pt. 1 “Replication has been explicitly disabled”

  1. Alexander Martinea

    I would like to start by thanking you very much for sharing with all of US who are managing MS-Server with endless problems.

    you post did help me resolved the problem with my replication

    all looking good now

    I’m now going to start my new project introducing MS-Server 2016 to my 2008r2 setup and getting things ready to be on 2016 AD Only.

    Thank you so very much for all your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  2. Vic

    Thank you so much, I had a replication issue with a transition DC that was giving us issues. Initial research was landing us on solutions that recommended demoting the DC and cleaning up metadata and re-promote, which seemed a little extreme. This solution worked perfectly and everything is syncing again!

    Reply
    1. Chris Harris Post author

      Thanks for your compliments Vic! Means a lot, and I’m glad you appreciate the more elegant solution found here, rather than demoting and metadata cleanup (yuck!). Thanks again and have a great weekend!

      Reply

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