Error: The directory server from which one or more organizational units have been imported does not exist. Ensure that the directory server exists, and then import the organizational units before trying to synchronize

Products

• Endpoint Security
• Endpoint Protection

Issue/Introduction

When trying to synchronize your Directory Server's Organizational Unit (OU) groups within the SEPM, you get the following popup: 

The directory server from which one or more organizational units have been imported does not exist. Ensure that the directory server exists, and then import the organizational units before trying to synchronize.

Environment

Symantec Endpoint Protection Manager (SEPM)
Directory Server (OU) group synchronization

Cause

- This error indicates that the previous Directory Server resource used to "initially" sync your OU groups into the SEPM no longer exists. 
- A previous Directory Server resource was decommissioned / replaced with a new Directory Server within the SEPM (Directory Server Tab under Server Properties) and you're trying to continue syncing all the same OU groups with the new Directory Server resource.  

Resolution

You will need to delete the problem groups from the SEPM and then re-import them with the new Directory Server resource.  

NOTE: When the problem groups are deleted, this will cause the policies applied to this groups to be removed from each group, and the machines in these groups will move to the Default Group.  To minimize losing your policy configuration, consider adopting inheritance, or make a note of the policy configurations before the change, so they can be re-added after the import.  

Once the problem groups are re-synced to the SEPM, the machines in those groups will be moved back from the Default group to their appropriate OUs after the next Directory Server synchronization task.  

There is no tool available to perform this change and the OUs are not overwritten automatically in the background when adding the new Directory Server.