vRealize 7.4 - AD integration fails ERROR_BAD_FORMAT

[kristofasaert]

Hello,

I'm trying to add a domain to my vRA environment.

However when doing that I get the error => Could not join domain: Error occurred while joining domain. Verify Domain Admin username and password is correct, and the username is the sAMAccountName. Failed to join domain. Error Code: ERROR_BAD_FORMAT. Message:

I'm sure the userids are correct.
I can resolve the domain on my appliances and there isn't a firewall in between.

I've found the same issue here in the community but there wasn't any feedback on how it was solved (Vrealize 7.0 integration with Active directory )

Anybody has some ideas on how to solve it?

[nogoh888]

I can confirm i also had the lowercase issue with the IWA configuration.

I build PoCs using powershell scripts to create my AD controllers and the one time I was lazy I put in my netbios parameter in lower case, usually I do uppercase. When I came to configure the directory for vRA i continually received the generic ERROR_BAD_FORMAT message.

The only way I could progress was to change the netbios from all lower case to all UPPER CASE. suffice to say, I really strongly highly recommend that you only do this in PoCs. I dont know what other effects of hacking at the AD to fix my issue will have on the environment, but if you have a similar issue in a production / customer / client environment then you need to spend time researching the risks and weigh the potential impact to the business in addition to calling Microsoft for Support. Perhaps a solution is to just build a separate domain

The fix is fairly simple, and I have 2 Parent AD-DCs, 1 child AD-DC and 1 external Trust AD-DC in my PoC and the fix was applied to the Parent AD. As I installed all the other domain DCs, (Child and External) with a lower case netbios because of the script, then I'm likely I'm going to have to update them too. As its a PoC and the environment is not going to be long lived, I'm using Eval licenses for my 2016 DCs so if i have to trash the PoC and rebuild I dont care. Do note that when using Eval licenses for AD controllers you cannot upgrade the Windows license at a later date, you must have a legal license for your AD controllers especially for production use.

From what I have read its strongly discouraged or you need experienced AD administrators to plan and implement a plan forward as the change will impact Exchange systems (and I don't know what else). I found my resolution on a blog on a guy learning about CEH.

So to reiterate DO NOT do the following on any environment other than a PoC, else you will risk bricking your environment and it will be auto-resume generating!!!!!!! Use at your own risk.

• Open ADSI Edit
• Connect to the "Configuration" Naming Context
• Navigate down until you get to CN=Partitions
• Find your root domain CN and open it i.e. Name: "CN=mydomain",  Directory Partition Name: "DC=mydomain,DC=com"
• Edit the nETBIOSName attribute and set it to UPPERCASE i.e. mydomain to MYDOMAIN.
• Apply and reboot your DC, because you only have the one right and you don't need to worry about AD replication issues because its a PoC.

Again DO NOT do the above on any environment other than a PoC. Spend time researching the risks and weigh the potential impact to the business in addition to calling Microsoft for Support.

This guy gives a powershell script on determining the netbios case. Do read it.

http://virot.eu/the-wierd-lowercase-netbios-name/

[kristofasaert]

Hey,

Thanks for the feedback, the procedure you're giving is maybe ok for POC environments.

But if you want to do it in a Microsoft supported way this is the link 🙂

Managing Active Directory Domain Rename | Microsoft Docs

[ankithb]

Thanks for the replies.

[vNerdyNate]

This is great stuff