Dsmgmt

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Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows 8

Facilitates managing Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) application partitions, managing and controlling flexible single master operations (FSMO), and cleaning up metadata that is left behind by abandoned Active Directory domain controllers and AD LDS instances. (Abandoned domain controllers and AD LDS instances are those that are removed from the network without being uninstalled.)

Dsmgmt is a command-line tool that is built into Windows Server 2008. It is available if you have the AD LDS server role installed. To use dsmgmt, you must run the dsmgmt command from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

For most of the dsmgmt commands, you only need to type the first few characters of the command name instead than the entire command. For example, you can type either of the following commands to manage configurable settings:

configurable settings
co s

The short form for each command is listed in the following table.

Commands

Command

Description

configurable settings

Short form: co s

Manages configurable settings.

DS behavior

Short form: ds b

Views and modifies AD DS and AD LDS behavior.

group membership evaluation

Short form: g m e

Evaluates SIDs in a token for a specified user or group.

LDAP policies

Manages LDAP protocol policies.

local roles

Short form: lo r

Manages local administrative roles on a read-only domain controller (RODC).

metadata cleanup

Short form: m c

Cleans up objects of decommissioned servers.

partition management

Short form: pa m

Manages directory partitions.

Popups off

Short form: po off

Disables popups.

Popups on

Short form: po on

Enables popups.

roles

Short form: r

Manages operations master roles.

security account management

Short form: sec a m

Manages Security Account Database and duplicate SID cleanup.

set DSRM password

Short form: set d p

Resets the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) administrator password.

?

Displays help at the command prompt.

Help

Displays help at the command prompt.

Quit

Quits dsmgmt.