New Windows Server 2012 unable connect to Netlogon Service or update DNS records

Question

Hi everybody, all of my Windows Servers 2012 decided to collapse after innocuous group policy update that was meant to make user passwords more secure.
The AD and DNS seem to be functioning "normally", I am able to add new Windows7 and Windows Server 2008 machines to the domain, I can see them in listed in the AD and DNS record are update correctly, however, as soon as I try to join Windows Server
2012 it breaks.
The event log is littered on the new server with:
The system failed to register host (A or AAAA) resource records (RRs) for network adapter
with settings:
           Adapter Name : {DB7F73CE-E011-4F3C-BEBC-2CE7A871DF51}
           Host Name : CHEETAH
           Primary Domain Suffix : somedomain.com
           DNS server list :
192.168.0.5
           Sent update to server : <?>
           IP Address(es) :
192.168.0.15
The reason the system could not register these RRs was because the update request it sent to the DNS server timed out. The most likely cause of this is that the DNS server authoritative for the name it was attempting to register or update is not running
at this time.
You can manually retry DNS registration of the network adapter and its settings by typing 'ipconfig /registerdns' at the command prompt. If problems still persist, contact your DNS server or network systems administrator.
and
Name resolution for the name _ldap._tcp.Default-First-Site-Name._sites.dc._msdcs.somedomain.com. timed out after none of the configured DNS servers responded.
When I try to ping the primary DC (WS2003) it fails, the Secondary DC (WS2012) responds.
The >nltest /sc_query:somedomain.com on Windows Servers 2012 returns:
Flags: 0
Trusted DC Name
Trusted DC Connection Status Status = 1311 0x51f ERROR_NO_LOGON_SERVERS
The command completed successfully
yet it works on all other machines.
I tried removing 2012 servers from the domain and rejoining - without success. The cookie crumbled when I added two new installations of Windows Server 2012 & 2008 and 2008 worked fine but 2012 showed same symptoms.
There is one peculiar thing that I had noticed on all Windows 2012 machines, it constantly showing "Workplace Connection - Connecting" in the networks pane on the right side of the screen, which I can't say i ever noticed before.
Unfortunately, the secondary DC is a multihoming server with Direct Access role - I am not sure if this may play some part but our existing configuration worked for a year now without any problems. Issue appeared when I changed the password complexity rule,
which boggles the mind. I wonder if there has been some other changes in GPO that did not propagate from years ago and finally comeback to break things.
Any suggestions would be really appreciated.
wmin

Answer 1

Hello Ace, i wish you a Happy New Year! I hope your break was enjoyable and filled with cheer.
In the end I had to bite the bullet and reinstall all troublesome servers. Your recommendations from above removed some serious problems with the DA and DNS resolution.
I was able to attach new server to the domain without any problems and begin painful process of rebuild.
I have promoted TIGER to full DC controller role, but having some issues with replication. Although running >repadmid /showrepl gives positive
feedback, the sysvol folder on the secondary DC is empty.
Also there is a couple of warnings in the event log:
Event ID 4012
Log Name: DNS Server
Source: DNS-Server-Service
The DNS server is waiting for Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to signal that the initial synchronization of the directory has been completed. The DNS server service cannot start until the initial
synchronization is complete because critical DNS data might not yet be replicated onto this domain controller. If events in the AD DS event log indicate that there is a problem with DNS name resolution, consider adding the IP address of another DNS server
for this domain to the DNS server list in the Internet Protocol properties of this computer. This event will be logged every two minutes until AD DS has signaled that the initial synchronization has successfully completed.
- which has not repeated since 3rd of Jan.
These events occur on the primary DC every few minutes:
Event ID 1030
Source: Userenv
Log Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Windows cannot query for the list of Group Policy objects. Check the event log for possible messages previously logged by the policy engine that describes the reason for this.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Event ID 1058
Source: Userenv
Log Name: NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Windows cannot access the file gpt.ini for GPO CN={31B2F340-016D-11D2-945F-00C04FB984F9},CN=Policies,CN=System,DC=somedomain,DC=com. The file must be present at the location <\\somedomain.com\sysvol\somedomain.com\Policies\{31B2F340-016D-11D2-945F-00C04FB984F9}\gpt.ini>.
(The network name cannot be found. ). Group Policy processing aborted.
For more information, see Help and Support Center at
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.
Should sysvol folder be shared on the secondary DC? Another interesting thing to point out is that
\\somedomain.com\sysvol\somedomain.com\Policies\ can be access
from all other machines except the DC1.
Cheers!
kind regards,
wmin