Windows 2000 Intra-Site Replication Interval

This article explains the default domain controller replication interval within the same Active Directory site in Microsoft Windows 2000. It covers the primary change notification delays, how subsequent replication partners are handled, urgent replication exceptions, and the scheduled fallback mechanism.

Default Intra-Site Replication Behavior

In Microsoft Windows 2000 Active Directory, domain controllers located within the same site do not rely primarily on a traditional schedule to synchronize changes. Instead, intra-site replication is change-driven and relies on a notification mechanism.

When an object is modified on a Windows 2000 domain controller, the default replication intervals are as follows:

  • Initial Notification Delay: 300 seconds (5 minutes). After a change is committed locally, the originating domain controller waits 300 seconds before notifying its first replication partner.
  • Subsequent Partner Notification Delay: 30 seconds. If the domain controller has multiple replication partners, it waits 30 seconds between sending notifications to each subsequent partner to prevent network and processing bottlenecks.

Once a partner receives a notification, it contacts the originating domain controller and pulls the updates.

Urgent Replication Exceptions

Certain critical security modifications bypass the standard 300-second delay entirely and trigger immediate replication. Urgent replication occurs instantly for:

  • Account lockouts.
  • Changes to the domain account lockout policy.
  • Changes to the domain password policy.
  • Updates to the Local Security Authority (LSA) secrets.
  • Modifications to the relative ID (RID) master role.

Scheduled Fallback Interval

If no changes occur on a domain controller, a scheduled replication check still takes place to ensure directory consistency. In Windows 2000, intra-site directory synchronization automatically polls for non-urgent changes once every 60 minutes (1 hour) by default.

Modifying the Default Intervals

These default timing parameters can be customized via the Windows Registry on the domain controller. Under the key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters

Administrators can adjust:

  • Replicator notify pause after modify (secs): Controls the initial wait time before notifying the first partner (default is 300).
  • Replicator notify pause between DSAs (secs): Controls the delay between notifying subsequent partners (default is 30).