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ERROR_DS_SUBREF_MUST_HAVE_PARENT
The subref has no valid parent in the directory tree
A subordinate reference participates in the distributed directory namespace and still has a position in the directory information tree. Active Directory requires the parent of a new subref to exist. The server does not synthesize an intermediate parent merely because the referenced naming location is known elsewhere.
Resolve the proposed parent DN on the same DC and inspect naming-context metadata. This condition should not be handled like a missing alias target: aliases are LDAP entries with alias semantics, whereas subrefs relate to directory partition/reference topology. A recent partition or cross-reference change can also make replica state relevant.
What to inspect
- Derive and query the exact parent DN on the failing server.
- Compare the DN with naming contexts and cross-reference metadata.
- Check recent partition creation or removal and replication before recreating namespace objects.
References
- Microsoft: RootDSE naming-context metadata
- MS-ADTS: constraints on Active Directory Add operations
- IETF RFC 4512: LDAP directory model, aliases, DNs, and schema
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