How to disable or enable Active Directory replication in Windows 2000

In Microsoft Windows 2000, you may have to disable replication on a particular domain controller to isolate that server for testing or to run restore processes. With this functionality, you can fully test changes on a destination domain controller before you implement them in your organization. It is a good idea to do this kind of testing when you implement schema changes, security changes, Group Policy changes, and authoritative restore procedures.

Repadmin.exe is a command-line tool from the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit that is included in the Support\Tools folder on the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM.

To enable or disable replication for a destination computer, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd and then click OK.
2. To disable outbound replication, type the following text, and then press ENTER:
   repadmin /options +DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL
   Note To re-enable outbound replication, type the following text, and then press ENTER:
   repadmin /options -DISABLE_OUTBOUND_REPL

Note To perform this procedure, you must be a member of the Domain Administrators group in Active Directory, or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

Warning These flags do not prevent replication when replication is forced by using other repadmin commands or by using other applications that use the Replication Management APIs. The /replicate, /sync, and /syncall repadmin commands do not replicate when the Active Directory connection has been disabled and when the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) has already run and has removed the replication link. (This link is visible as the output of the repadmin /showrepl command). At this point, you are safe from unwanted replication by delegated administrators who cannot change the Active Directory topology because the repadmin /add command does not support the /force option.