Objective 

In certain scenarios, such as slow response times, site-specific configurations, or compliance requirements, you may need to change the domain controller (DC) that ADManager Plus uses for Active Directory operations like user provisioning, modification, and reporting. This guide walks you through manually setting a preferred DC or enabling automatic DC selection for optimal performance.

Prerequisites   

Before you begin, ensure the following:

• You have admin access to ADManager Plus.

• The target DC is reachable from the ADManager Plus server.

• DC are properly registered in the DNS.

• The ADManager Plus service account has adequate permissions in Active Directory.

• Required network ports between ADManager Plus and the DCs are open.

Steps to follow 

Case 1: Manually set a preferred DC  

1. Log in to ADManager Plus.

2. Navigate to Directory/Application Settings > Active Directory.

3. Click the Edit icon next to the relevant domain.

4. Under Add Domain Controllers, you will see a list of discovered DCs.

5. Move the DC you want ADManager Plus to communicate with to the top of the list. ADManager Plus always communicates with the DC listed at the top.

6. If the required DC is not visible, verify that it is reachable and registered in the DNS.

7. Click Save.

This change takes effect immediately, and all domain operations will use the selected DC.

Case 2: Enable DC Sort Intelligence  

ADManager Plus provides a DC Sort Intelligence feature that evaluates the response time of all available DCs and automatically communicates with the fastest one.

To enable it:

1. Go to Directory/Application Settings > Active Directory.

2. Click Edit for the target domain.

3. Check the Implement DC Sort Intelligence box.

4. Click Save.

This option is ideal for environments with multiple DCs across locations and helps reduce latency in AD operations.

Tips   

• Restart the ADManager Plus service if you observe latency or slow responses after updating DC settings.

• Use tools like nltest /dsgetdc:<domain>, dcdiag, or ping to validate the health and reachability of your DCs.

• When using a preferred DC, periodically monitor its performance and availability.

• Make sure firewalls between ADManager Plus and your DCs allow necessary traffic on required ports.