Active Directory Project

I'm going to be working on an active directory project and would like some
advice of some good articles (links), resources to use or any helpful hints
someone can provide.

My company has one domain controller at the main branch. At branch 2 we
would like a backup domain controller or a server to act as a backup global
catalog.

I also want the employee's roaming profiles who are working at branch 2 to
be pulled down from that server located at branch 2 and not the main branch.
This may be called replication? A process to sync up the roaming profiles
between the two servers.

It would also be ideal to use it as a backup file server using a similar
process to the roaming profile question.

Sorry if that is quite a bit of information. Thought someone could point me
to some good articles to get started with or give some advice.

The current domain controller is running on windows 2003 and also acts as
our file server.

Hello pete0085,

Adding an additional DC is a straight forward process, depending on the bandwith
between the sites you should maybe prepare it in the main office and then
ship it to the site.

2003:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...32(WS.10).aspx

2008:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...27(WS.10).aspx

For the roaming profiles as redundant option you can use DFS or DFS-R, depending
on the OS version in use. This allows you to have a domain share for example
and you can add folders from different servers to it so they are all syncronized.
Depending on the OS verison in use there was a major change for replication
after initial replication is done.

2003:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...17(WS.10).aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...s/default.mspx

2008:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...82(VS.85).aspx

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> I'm going to be working on an active directory project and would like
> some advice of some good articles (links), resources to use or any
> helpful hints someone can provide.
>
> My company has one domain controller at the main branch. At branch 2
> we would like a backup domain controller or a server to act as a
> backup global catalog.
>
> I also want the employee's roaming profiles who are working at branch
> 2 to be pulled down from that server located at branch 2 and not the
> main branch. This may be called replication? A process to sync up
> the roaming profiles between the two servers.
>
> It would also be ideal to use it as a backup file server using a
> similar process to the roaming profile question.
>
> Sorry if that is quite a bit of information. Thought someone could
> point me to some good articles to get started with or give some
> advice.
>
> The current domain controller is running on windows 2003 and also acts
> as our file server.
>

Thanks for all the help! I will take a look at this and go from there.

If my DC is Server 2003, should I keep my BDC at server 2003 or would it be
ok to use Server 2008?

I would need to purchase a new license for either OS, so it would help in
my planning.

"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:

> Hello pete0085,
>
> Adding an additional DC is a straight forward process, depending on the bandwith
> between the sites you should maybe prepare it in the main office and then
> ship it to the site.
>
> 2003:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...32(WS.10).aspx
>
> 2008:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...27(WS.10).aspx
>
> For the roaming profiles as redundant option you can use DFS or DFS-R, depending
> on the OS version in use. This allows you to have a domain share for example
> and you can add folders from different servers to it so they are all syncronized.
> Depending on the OS verison in use there was a major change for replication
> after initial replication is done.
>
> 2003:
> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...17(WS.10).aspx
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv...s/default.mspx
>
> 2008:
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...82(VS.85).aspx
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
>
> > I'm going to be working on an active directory project and would like
> > some advice of some good articles (links), resources to use or any
> > helpful hints someone can provide.
> >
> > My company has one domain controller at the main branch. At branch 2
> > we would like a backup domain controller or a server to act as a
> > backup global catalog.
> >
> > I also want the employee's roaming profiles who are working at branch
> > 2 to be pulled down from that server located at branch 2 and not the
> > main branch. This may be called replication? A process to sync up
> > the roaming profiles between the two servers.
> >
> > It would also be ideal to use it as a backup file server using a
> > similar process to the roaming profile question.
> >
> > Sorry if that is quite a bit of information. Thought someone could
> > point me to some good articles to get started with or give some
> > advice.
> >
> > The current domain controller is running on windows 2003 and also acts
> > as our file server.
> >
>
>
> .
>

Hello pete0085,

This depends on you, Windows server 2003 and Windows server 2008(R2) work
together without any problem.

If you use the Windows server 2008 for Terminal services(NOT on DCs) then
you have to take into account that with Windows server 2008/WIndows Vista
a new user profile structure is used, C:\users instead C:\documents and settings.
If htis is needed there are still guides how to handle this.

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Thanks for all the help! I will take a look at this and go from
> there.
>
> If my DC is Server 2003, should I keep my BDC at server 2003 or would
> it be ok to use Server 2008?
>
> I would need to purchase a new license for either OS, so it would
> help in my planning.
>
> "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:
>
>> Hello pete0085,
>>
>> Adding an additional DC is a straight forward process, depending on
>> the bandwith between the sites you should maybe prepare it in the
>> main office and then ship it to the site.
>>
>> 2003:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...32(WS.10).aspx
>> 2008:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...27(WS.10).aspx
>> For the roaming profiles as redundant option you can use DFS or
>> DFS-R, depending on the OS version in use. This allows you to have a
>> domain share for example and you can add folders from different
>> servers to it so they are all syncronized. Depending on the OS
>> verison in use there was a major change for replication after initial
>> replication is done.
>>
>> 2003:
>> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...17(WS.10).aspx
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv.../storage/dfs/d
>> efault.mspx
>>
>> 2008:
>> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...82(VS.85).aspx
>> Best regards
>>
>> Meinolf Weber
>> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
>> confers
>> no rights.
>> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
>> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>>> I'm going to be working on an active directory project and would
>>> like some advice of some good articles (links), resources to use or
>>> any helpful hints someone can provide.
>>>
>>> My company has one domain controller at the main branch. At branch
>>> 2 we would like a backup domain controller or a server to act as a
>>> backup global catalog.
>>>
>>> I also want the employee's roaming profiles who are working at
>>> branch 2 to be pulled down from that server located at branch 2 and
>>> not the main branch. This may be called replication? A process to
>>> sync up the roaming profiles between the two servers.
>>>
>>> It would also be ideal to use it as a backup file server using a
>>> similar process to the roaming profile question.
>>>
>>> Sorry if that is quite a bit of information. Thought someone could
>>> point me to some good articles to get started with or give some
>>> advice.
>>>
>>> The current domain controller is running on windows 2003 and also
>>> acts as our file server.
>>>
>> .
>>

We have one 2008 server, but it is used as our virtual hyper-v server and is
not used for terminal services. I was more concerned if the roaming profiles
folder would have a different path name in Server 2008 vs 2003 or if the DC
running 2008 would somehow think it's the primary and compatibility in
general. I don't have much experience with Server 2008. There are no Vista
or Windows 7 machines in the network and I understand those use a different
path to the users folder.

"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:

> Hello pete0085,
>
> This depends on you, Windows server 2003 and Windows server 2008(R2) work
> together without any problem.
>
> If you use the Windows server 2008 for Terminal services(NOT on DCs) then
> you have to take into account that with Windows server 2008/WIndows Vista
> a new user profile structure is used, C:\users instead C:\documents and settings.
> If htis is needed there are still guides how to handle this.
>
> Best regards
>
> Meinolf Weber
> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
> no rights.
> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
>
>
> > Thanks for all the help! I will take a look at this and go from
> > there.
> >
> > If my DC is Server 2003, should I keep my BDC at server 2003 or would
> > it be ok to use Server 2008?
> >
> > I would need to purchase a new license for either OS, so it would
> > help in my planning.
> >
> > "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" wrote:
> >
> >> Hello pete0085,
> >>
> >> Adding an additional DC is a straight forward process, depending on
> >> the bandwith between the sites you should maybe prepare it in the
> >> main office and then ship it to the site.
> >>
> >> 2003:
> >> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...32(WS.10).aspx
> >> 2008:
> >> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...27(WS.10).aspx
> >> For the roaming profiles as redundant option you can use DFS or
> >> DFS-R, depending on the OS version in use. This allows you to have a
> >> domain share for example and you can add folders from different
> >> servers to it so they are all syncronized. Depending on the OS
> >> verison in use there was a major change for replication after initial
> >> replication is done.
> >>
> >> 2003:
> >> http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...17(WS.10).aspx
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserv.../storage/dfs/d
> >> efault.mspx
> >>
> >> 2008:
> >> http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/libr...82(VS.85).aspx
> >> Best regards
> >>
> >> Meinolf Weber
> >> Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and
> >> confers
> >> no rights.
> >> ** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
> >> ** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm
> >>> I'm going to be working on an active directory project and would
> >>> like some advice of some good articles (links), resources to use or
> >>> any helpful hints someone can provide.
> >>>
> >>> My company has one domain controller at the main branch. At branch
> >>> 2 we would like a backup domain controller or a server to act as a
> >>> backup global catalog.
> >>>
> >>> I also want the employee's roaming profiles who are working at
> >>> branch 2 to be pulled down from that server located at branch 2 and
> >>> not the main branch. This may be called replication? A process to
> >>> sync up the roaming profiles between the two servers.
> >>>
> >>> It would also be ideal to use it as a backup file server using a
> >>> similar process to the roaming profile question.
> >>>
> >>> Sorry if that is quite a bit of information. Thought someone could
> >>> point me to some good articles to get started with or give some
> >>> advice.
> >>>
> >>> The current domain controller is running on windows 2003 and also
> >>> acts as our file server.
> >>>
> >> .
> >>
>
>
> .
>