adding a 2008 dc to a branch office

[nsanto17]

I have a domain set up at the main office (2003 & 2008). I want to add a 2008 domian controller at a branch office. There is currently a VPN between the two sites. Can anyone point me in the right direction as to how to set this up.

Thanks in advance.

Nick

 

[58sniper]

A box-to-box VPN? If that's the case, and users in the branch can access resources in the "main" office, then build the box, define your sites in ADSS, define your subnets in ADSS, and promote the box. Make it a GC and DNS server as well.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[nsanto17]

its a router to router vpn. but the concept to what you described as above will work fine.. I think...

 

[58sniper]

Okay, that's what I meant. Box/router/firewall, and not some software client on the end user machines.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[nsanto17]

when building the box do i give it the same ip address it will have at the branch office?

Main Site Network - 10.0.0.x
Branch 192.168.5.x

I would think that the ip needs to be the same as it will be when its at the branch location prior to promotion. this way dns is accurate.

Is this correct?

 

[58sniper]

Somewhat irrelevant. If you're building it at your home office, then shipping it to the branch, build it with an IP that's correct in the home office so that you can get to the Internet, and so that it can communicate correctly. Then, when you're ready to ship it, change the IP address. When it boots in the branch office, it should update DNS appropriately.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[nsanto17]

I will be building the server at the main site. While at the mainsite should i run dcpromo?

 

[58sniper]

I don't see any reason why not. I know some orgs, including my current customer, promote them when they are in the branch. I've done it both ways.

What's important to remember is that once it's a DC, you'll need (by default) to be a domain admin to login to it. So, if there is a problem out of the box at the branch, and you're not the one in the branch, that could get interesting.

But I usually do just about everything in the main site and then ship it.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[nsanto17]

Server is comming from Dell today. Here is what my steps will be please let me know if you think i should make any changes.

1) Assisgn IP of main Office
2) Promote Server (DCPROMO)
3) Wait for Replication
4) Define my Site and Subnet of Branch office in ADSS
5) Shutdown Server and bring to branch office
6) Change IP to subnet of branch office
7) All should be happy in branch office

Does this sound about right?

 

[58sniper]

Are you also making it a DNS server? A Global Catalog?

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/

 

[nsanto17]

yes

 

[nsanto17]

Sniper58,

I went ahead and built the server and ran DCPROMO in the main office. It is set as a GC but DNS has not been installed yet. i am waiting for AD to sync up first.

My question is this..

Should i change the IP to the new subnet just before shutting it down? When do i move the server to the new site in ADSS? Do I move it when i change the IP or do i move it after it has been connected in the branch office?

Thanks in advance.

 

[58sniper]

You can do it either way. If you do it before shutting it down, and you're not the one putting it into the branch office (it's being shipped), then when it's racked and stacked and booted, you should be able to get to it remotely.

If you are doing the installation at the branch, then it doesn't really matter.

Personally, I'd do it before shutting it down. But I'd get DNS going on that server before that.

As for ADSS, it should show up in the correct site once it's booted with the correct IP address.

Pat Richard MVP
Plan for performance, and capacity takes care of itself. Plan for capacity, and suffer poor performance.

http://www.ucblogs.net/blogs/exchange/