How it chooses which server to login to?

[customgt]

Hello, we have a sbs 2003 primary domain controller in usa, and a 2003 standard secondary DC in panama.

I see sometimes when a user is in usa, they will be logged in to the panama server (if i do a echo %logonserver% at cmd prompt)
So i will log them out and relog in and i notice it is then connected to our USA server.

This is on thier laptop that they take back and forwards.

I was wondering what criteria controls which one they log into? I didnt know if pinged both servers and chose the one with the shortest distance?

 

[58sniper]

How is are your sites setup in AD Sites & Services?

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[customgt]

I never knew about AD Sites & Services until now. I didnt setup the 2 domains.

Our primary dc is the one in USA, the secondary is in Panama. This is the only 2 servers on the domain.
What do you want me to tell u about it?

OFF TOPIC:: I did see under inter-site transports/IP/ we have it replicating every 180minutes...ouch does that mean how often AD will replicate between the servers? If so i think i should change it to like 5 minutes or so...

 

[58sniper]

You should have your subnets setup in Sites & Services. Create a site for each of your sites, and configure the resources for each. That should get your machines to use the local DCs when logging in.

Pat Richard, MCSE MCSA:Messaging CNA
Microsoft Exchange MVP
Want to know how email works? Read for yourself -

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2821.txt

 

[customgt]

a site is already created for the usa (default-first-site-name) and one for panama

I see only the panama server has subnets setup for it. (192.168.1.0/24)

Our usa doesnt have anything..it is 10.0.0.0/8 btw
Is it required i enter it in?

AHH i see...so if a user is logging in remotely from home, the use openvpn which gives them a 10.0.128.x IP, so it will redirect them to the default site.

But maybe the guy who set it up just put it in the panama site because everything else not in the 192.168.1.0/24 should default to the default site??

 

[djtech2k]

Sites and services is your friend

You need a site for each location that has a DC. You setup every IP subnet in that panel and then assign those subnets to the correct site (where the DC's are). So now when a client tries to logon, its IP is checked in sights and services so it knows where to logon. If it is not defined, then it will either logon at the default first site OR the backup is to use DNS to try to find the "closest" DC. The bottom line is that you NEED to configure all subnets and setup the sites for it to work correctly.

 

[customgt]

Ok i set it all up maybe we will see some improvements.

thanks