How can I find the current FSMO role holders in a domain/forest?

A. The five Flexible Single Master of Operation (FSMO) roles are Schema master, Domain naming master, Relative Identifier (RID) master, PDC master, and Infrastructure master. In FAQs earlier this year, I explained how to change each of these roles in the following FAQs:

How can I change the Schema master FSMO?
How can I change the Domain naming master FSMO?
How can I change the RID master FSMO?
How can I change the PDC emulator FSMO?
How can I change the Infrastructure master FSMO?

You can use a GUI to find the FSMO role holders, but you need to perform several sets of steps (for this approach, see Microsoft article Q234790.

However, you can use some other approaches to reduce the number of steps that the GUI requires to find the current FSMO role holders. First, you can use the command file dumpfsmos.cmd from the Win2K Server Resource Kit. This command uses the built-in ntdsutil.exe, which shows you all the FSMO role owners.

To find the current FSMO role holders, you simply execute the dumpfsmos command on a domain. For example, you could type the following command:

C:>dumpfsmos.cmd savilltech.com

When the following information appears on the screen, find the line that reads "Server 'savilltech.com' knows about 5 roles," and read the lines below it to find information about each FSMO role holder.

Ntdsutil: roles
fsmo maintenance: Connections
server connections: Connect to server savilltech.com
Binding to savilltech.com ... 
Connected to savilltech.com using credentials of locally logged on user
server connections: Quit
fsmo maintenance: select Operation Target
select operation target: List roles for connected server
Server "savilltech.com" knows about 5 roles
Schema - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-
Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Domain - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-
Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
PDC - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-
Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
RID - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-
Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Infrastructure - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-
First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
select operation target: Quit
fsmo maintenance: Quit
Ntdsutil: Quit
Disconnecting from savilltech.com ...

You can also manually execute the ntdsutil.exe tool by performing the following steps:

Sample output from the command appears below with the text you type shown in boldface type. Below the line that reads "Server 'titanic-dc' knows about 5 roles," you'll find information about your FSMO role holders.

C:>ntdsutil
ntdsutil: domain management
domain management: connections
server connections: connect to server titanic-dc
Binding to titanic-dc ... 
Connected to titanic-dc using credentials of locally logged on user
server connections: quit
domain management: select operation target
select operation target: list roles for connected server
Server "titanic-dc" knows about 5 roles
Schema - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-
Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Domain - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-
Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
PDC - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-
Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
RID - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-
Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Infrastructure - CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-
First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
select operation target: quit
domain management: quit
ntdsutil: quit
Disconnecting from titanic-dc ...

A third option for finding the current FSMO role holders is to use the dcdiag utility, which you can find in the Support/Tools folder of the Win2K Support Tools. To use the dcdiag utility, type the following command:

G:>dcdiag /test:Knowsofroleholders /v

Sample output for the command appears below. You'll find information about your FSMO role holders below the line that reads "Starting test: KnowsOfRoleHolders."

DC Diagnosis

Performing initial setup: 
* Verifing that the local machine titanic-dc, is a DC. 
* Connecting to directory service on server titanic-dc. 
* Collecting site info. 
* Identifying all servers. 
* Found 1 DC(s). Testing 1 of them. 
Done gathering initial info. 

Doing initial non skippeable tests

Testing server: Default-First-Site-NameTITANIC-DC
Starting test: Connectivity
* Active Directory LDAP Services Check
* Active Directory RPC Services Check
......................... TITANIC-DC passed test Connectivity

Doing primary tests

Testing server: Default-First-Site-NameTITANIC-DC
Test omitted by user request: Replications
Test omitted by user request: Topology
Test omitted by user request: CutoffServers
Test omitted by user request: NCSecDesc
Test omitted by user request: NetLogons
Test omitted by user request: Advertising
Starting test: KnowsOfRoleHolders
Role Schema Owner = CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Defaul
t-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Role Domain Owner = CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Defaul
t-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Role PDC Owner = CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-F
irst-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Role Rid Owner = CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Servers,CN=Default-F
irst-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
Role Infrastructure Update Owner = CN=NTDS Settings,CN=TITANIC-DC,CN=Se
rvers,CN=Default-First-Site-
Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=savilltech,DC=com
......................... TITANIC-DC passed test KnowsOfRoleHolders
Test omitted by user request: RidManager
Test omitted by user request: MachineAccount
Test omitted by user request: Services
Test omitted by user request: OutboundSecureChannels
Test omitted by user request: ObjectsReplicated
Test omitted by user request: frssysvol
Test omitted by user request: kccevent
Test omitted by user request: systemlog

Running enterprise tests on : savilltech.com
Test omitted by user request: Intersite
Test omitted by user request: FsmoCheck