Which command-line utility would you use to check the health of a specific domain controller in Active Directory?

The command-line utility DCDiag is specifically designed for diagnosing the health of domain controllers in Active Directory. When you run DCDiag, it performs a series of tests to assess the operational status and functionality of a domain controller, including checks on replication, connectivity, and service availability. This detailed diagnostic tool provides administrators with insights into potential issues, making it essential for maintaining a healthy Active Directory environment.

While PowerShell can be used to perform a variety of administrative tasks, including retrieving information about domain controllers, it does not focus specifically on the health checks that DCDiag is designed for. Netstat is a networking utility used to display network connections, routing tables, interface statistics, and other related information, but it does not provide any specific diagnostics related to domain controllers. Ping is used to check the reachability of a network host and measure round-trip time for messages sent to the destination host, but it lacks the comprehensive diagnostic capabilities needed for evaluating Active Directory domain controllers. Therefore, DCDiag stands out as the most appropriate tool for ensuring the health of domain controllers in an Active Directory setup.