How does the Directory and Resource Administrator client find the nearest Administration server? (NETIQKB213)

goal
How does the Directory and Resource Administrator client find the nearest Administration server?

fact
Directory and Resource Administrator 6.30.01

fact
Directory and Resource Administrator 6.40

fix

All Directory and Resource Administrator clients (MMC interface, Web Console, Command Line Interface, and Reporting and Query Tool) find the nearest active Administration server by following a series of steps:

1. The NetIQ Administration client queries Active Directory to determine the closest domain controller.
2. The NetIQ Administration client then queries the NetIQ DRA Agent on that closest domain controller to determine the appropriate NetIQ Administration server. Each NetIQ DRA Agent contains a list of NetIQ Administration servers and the domains that they manage. If the NetIQ DRA Agent is not running on the closest domain controller, the Assistant Admin (AA) is prompted to provide the name of the NetIQ Administration server, at which time the client is connected to the Administration server and the selection process ends. Otherwise, the process continues.
3. The NetIQ DRA Agent compares the client's subnet with the subnets of all NetIQ Administration servers. If a NetIQ Administration server that manages a selected domain is on the same subnet as the Assistant Admin's client machine, the NetIQ DRA Agent tells the client to connect to that NetIQ Administration server.
4. If there is no appropriate NetIQ Administration server on the same subnet as the client machine, the NetIQ DRA Agent compares the client's subnet with all other subnets in the same Active Directory site as the client. If a NetIQ Administration server that manages a selected domain is in the same Active Directory site as the Assistant Admin's client machine, the NetIQ DRA Agent tells the client to connect to that NetIQ Administration server.
   NOTE: Because Windows NT does not have sites, this step is performed only for clients in Windows 2000 Active Directory domains.
5. If the NetIQ DRA Agent does not find a NetIQ Administration server by using the steps above, the NetIQ DRA Agent will tell the client to connect to the first NetIQ Administration server in the list of NetIQ Administration servers that manages the target domain. This list is in alphabetical order by server name.

In addition to the above process, the Assistant Admin can specify the NetIQ Administration server to connect to. To specify the NetIQ Administration server itself, please see the steps below.

1. Launch the Directory and Resource Administrator MMC interface.
2. Select and then right click on the NetIQ Administration snap-in.
3. Click Specify NetIQ Administration server.
4. Click the Advanced button.
5. Check the box to Connect to the following NetIQ Administration server for this managed domain or computer.
6. Enter the NetBIOS name of the desired Administration server in the \\computername format.
7. Click OK.

To determine which Administration server the client is connected to, do one of the following:

MMC

1. Launch the Directory and Resource Administrator MMC interface.
2. Select and then right-click on the NetIQ Administration snap-in.
3. Click Properties.

Web Console

1. Launch the Directory and Resource Administrator Web Console interface.
2. From the Home page of the NetIQ Administration Web Console, click on About Web Console.

Formerly known as NETIQKB213