DCPROMO a remote site server

[ryrae]

We currently have a corporate office and 8 branch offices all connected over an MPLS network. The DCs exists at the corporate office and all of the branch office users come back to the corporate office for authentication. There is only one server at each branch office which serves as a file, print, DHCP, DNS server for the local office. We would like to promote each server to a DC at the branch offices so if there is an issue with the MPLS the users will still be able to work locally with files, printers, etc. We had an outage at one of the remote sites recently and none of the users could get to files, print, etc becuase they could not authenticate back to the DCs at the corporate office. Can anyone provide me with a checklist or steps that I will need to follow to promote the site servers? We would like for each to be a GC and replicate AD from the corporate office. I guess I am just worried about setting up AD sites and services correctly and replicating the AD information to the remote site. Any help is appreciated. Remote site servers are Windows Server 2003 Std. SP2. Corporate Office DCs(2) are Windows Server 2003 Ent. X64 R2 SP2. Thanks again

Ryan
A+, Network+, MCP, MCTS:Exchange 2007

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

This can be done, but the permissioning on the remote server will change when becoming a DC. Whoever manages your file server data will need to be domain admin level to do so. All existing File server folders and permisisions will not change; I just mean whoever administers it. The Sites and Services should be pretty easy. Create the site then add the appropriate Subnet to that site. once the server is dcpromo; then make sure you go bakck in there (Sites and Services) to verify the DC is in the right site and to also make that server a Global Catalog. then go ahead an AD Integrate the DNS Zones.

_______________________________________
Great knowledge can be obtained by mastering the Google algorithm.

 

[ryrae]

Should I configure sites and services before doing the DCPROMO on the site server? I assume that I just create a new site and name it with the remote site name. Then I create a new subnet, which is the subnet of the remote site and apply the site name to that subnet. Currently I have the Default-First-Site-Name which is applied to our corporate office subnet. Would it hurt anything for me to rename that Default-First-Site-Name to Corporate Office so it is easier to identify? Thanks again for your help

ryan A+, Network+, MCP, MCTS:Exchange

 

[ryrae]

Do I have to add/modify anythin in the Inter-Site Transports? I am guessing that I will need to add each remote site into the DEFAULTIPSITELINK so AD is replicated to the remote sites, but I am not sure if that is correct. Please let me know what else I will need to complete to ensure that AD is replicated correctly to the remote sites. Thanks

 

[58sniper]

Should I configure sites and services before doing the DCPROMO on the site server? I assume that I just create a new site and name it with the remote site name. Then I create a new subnet, which is the subnet of the remote site and apply the site name to that subnet. Currently I have the Default-First-Site-Name which is applied to our corporate office subnet. Would it hurt anything for me to rename that Default-First-Site-Name to Corporate Office so it is easier to identify? Thanks again for your help

You should create the site & add the subnet(s) before promoting the server to a DC.

There should be no problem with renaming a site.

Do I have to add/modify anythin in the Inter-Site Transports? I am guessing that I will need to add each remote site into the DEFAULTIPSITELINK so AD is replicated to the remote sites, but I am not sure if that is correct. Please let me know what else I will need to complete to ensure that AD is replicated correctly to the remote sites. Thanks

I generally will wait till the server is promoted, then go in there and adjust as needed, including making it a GC.

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

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