upi:Active Directory Domain Services Command Reference

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) command-line tools are built into Windows Server 2008. They are available if you have the AD DS or Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) server role installed. To use these tools, you must run them from an elevated command prompt. To open an elevated command prompt, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator. 

Command	Description
Adprep	Extends the Active Directory schema and updates permissions as necessary to prepare a forest and domain for a domain controller that runs the Windows Server 2008 operating system.
Csvde	Imports and exports data from Active Directory using files that store data in the comma-separated value (CSV) format. You can also support batch operations based on the CSV file format standard.
Dcdiag	Analyzes the state of domain controllers in a forest or enterprise and reports any problems to help in troubleshooting.
Dcpromo	Installs and removes Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
Dsacls	Displays and changes permissions (access control entries) in the access control list (ACL) of objects in AD DS.
Dsadd	Adds specific types of objects to the directory.
Dsamain	Exposes Active Directory data that is stored in a snapshot or backup as a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server.
Dsdbutil	Provides database utilities for Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS).
Dsget	Displays the selected properties of a specific object in the directory.
Dsmgmt	Provides management facilities for Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS).
Dsmod	Modifies an existing object of a specific type in the directory.
Dsmove	Moves a single object in a domain from its current location in the directory to a new location or renames a single object without moving it in the directory tree.
Dsquery	Queries AD DS according to specified criteria.
Dsrm	Deletes an object of a specific type or any general object from the directory.
Ldifde	Creates, modifies, and deletes directory objects on computers running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP Professional operating systems.
Ldp	Makes it possible for users to perform operations against an LDAP-compatible directory, such as AD DS. These operations include connect, bind, search, modify, add, and delete.
Netdom	Makes it possible for administrators to manage Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 domains and trust relationships from a command prompt.
Net computer	Adds or deletes a computer from a domain database.
Net group	Adds, displays, or modifies global groups in domains.
Net user	Adds or modifies user accounts, or displays user account information.
Nltest	Performs network administrative tasks.
Ntdsutil	Provides management facilities for AD DS.
Redircmp	Redirects the default container for newly created computers to a specified target organizational unit (OU) so that newly created computer objects are created in the specific target OU instead of in CN=Computers.
Redirusr	Redirects the default container for newly created users to a specified target OU so that newly created user objects are created in the specific target OU instead of in CN=Users.
Repadmin	Makes it possible for administrators to diagnose Active Directory replication problems between domain controllers running Windows operating systems.
Setspn	Makes it possible for administrators to read, modify, and delete the Service Principal Names (SPN) directory property for an Active Directory service account.

Wrt: http://newadmins.blogspot.com

upi:How to Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk

Differences Between Basic and Dynamic Disks:

• Basic disks are supported (readable) by all Windows operating systems since MS-DOS.
  • Dynamic disks are only supported (readable) by Windows 2000, XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, Vista Ultimate, Vista Enterprise, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008.
• Basic disks can have up to 128 GPT primary partitions, or 4 MBR primary partitions or 3 MBR primary partitions and 1 extended partition with up to 128 logical volumes in the extended partition.
  • Dynamic disks can have up to 2000 dynamic volumes that function like a primary partition used in basic disks.
• Basic disks cannot share or split data with other primary or logical partitions, or basic disks. Each partitiion on a basic disk is treated as if it was a separate hard disk on the basic disk.
  • Separate dynamic disks can be combined into a single dynamic volume (spanning), split data among several dynamic disks (striping) for increased performance, or duplicate data among several dynamic disks (mirroring) for increased reliability.
• Hard disks are basic disks by default, including removable disks and disks on a laptop (notepad).
  • Removable disks cannot be converted to a dynamic disk.
  
  
  VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ THIS FIRST.
  
  • You must be logged in as an administrator to do this inside Windows.
  • Before you convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk, be sure to backup anything that you do not want to lose on that dynamic disk. Converting the dynamic disk back to a basic disk using either OPTION 3-5 below requires that all dynamic volumes are deleted on the disk first.
  • See OPTION ONE or OPTION TWO below if you wanted to be able to convert a dynamic disk back to a basic disk without losing the data on it.
  • If you disable the Disk Defragmenter service, then you will get the error below when you try to do anything in Disk Management. If you get this error, then make sure that the Disk Defragmenter service is set to only Manual.
  
    Convert a Dynamic Disk to a Basic Disk
  
  To Use Partition Wizard 4.2 Free in Windows 7
  

  A) Download the "Partition_Wizard_4.2_free.zip" file here to your desktop.
  B) Open the ZIP file, and extract (drag and drop) the PW folder to your desktop.
  C) Open the PW folder, and run the PWIZ.exe file.
  D) Click on No for the new version avialable update. (see screenshot below)

  E) Right click on the Disk # (ex: Disk 1) of the dynamic disk you want to convert, then click on Convert Dynamic Disk to Basic Disk. (see screenshot below)
  F) Click on OK. (see screenshot below)
  G) Click on the blue Apply check mark toolbar button at the top right corner, and click on Yes. (see screenshot below)
  H) If prompted to restart, click on Restart Now. (see screenshot below)
  NOTE: This is normal if the dynamic disk you wanted to convert to basic is the disk that the currently running Windows is installed on. 
  When finished, the selected dynamic disc will now be converted to a basic disk without losing any data on it.   Thanks to Sevenforms..
  
  w.r.t http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/26829-convert-dynamic-disk-basic-disk.html