Active Directory Replication

[MarcoPerez21]

Hey Guy's,

I Have a 5 Servers total, 1 of the servers is at a satellite office. I am having users from the satellite office complain about there logon/in times. One user says that it takes nearly 20 minutes to get onto the network!!
I am beginning to suspect the replication of AD over there, when I go to the satellite site and login w/ the administrator account i login in 60 seconds or less. but when other users try to log on it takes them and avg. a/b 7 min. Can you guys give insight as to where to look for the replication errors??? I have inherited this network and am new to network administration.

thanks,
Marco P.

 

[mlichstein]

Does the satellite office have its own domain controller? If so, do you have sites configured? What kind of link is between the satellite office and the main office?

 

[MarcoPerez21]

yes it has it own DC and it is linked by a t1 connection. by your saying the sites configured are you referring to organizational units? if not can you give me insight being that I am new to network administration and network issues. any information will be much appreciated.

-Marco

 

[mlichstein]

First, make sure the DC in that site is running DNS. Then make sure all the clients in that site are configured to use that server's IP for primary DNS.

Sites are configured in the AD sites and services snapin. You define a site name, then link a subnet to it. This will make logons and replication more efficient. Clients will try to logon to a DC in their own site first, and replication between sites is compressed and has uses bandwith more efficiently. If you have two physical sites separated by a relatively slow link in one logical AD site, you will waste bandwith with replication.

Here is some info about sites:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pr...rectory/activedirectory/stepbystep/adsrv.mspx

 

[jfwebber]

If you have not already done so, also make the DC in the satellite office a global catalog.

Jim

 

[MarcoPerez21]

Well I am not sure it is a GC Server, mainly because I am new to this organization, and I am still reviewing all of the "current" configurations. what is the best "domain" structure when you have a satellite office a/b 15 miles away? Should I have a GC here for the "local office" and a GC for the "satellite office"? or should it be one Domain with a site abroad and with one GC?