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ERROR_DS_ROOT_MUST_BE_NC
Why an Active Directory root must be an NC head
Active Directory is partitioned into naming contexts (NCs). An NC replica is a tree whose root is the NC head; domain, configuration, schema, and application partitions are separate replication units. A request that treats an ordinary interior object as a directory root conflicts with that partition model.
This status is therefore not a generic bad-DN error. The DN may parse correctly and the object may exist, but the object is not a valid NC root. In AD data, the NC-head role is reflected by directory state such as instanceType, and the forest partition layout is described by cross-reference metadata in the configuration NC.
What to inspect
- Resolve the DN against
rootDSEnaming-context attributes and verify which partition the caller intended to address. - Inspect the target object metadata instead of creating a missing parent or changing ACLs; neither turns an interior object into an NC head.
- For AD-aware tools, distinguish an LDAP search base from an NC root. A valid search base can be below the partition head.
References
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