New network on different site - same or seperate domain?

[Fox1977]

Hi there,

Just wondering if anyone could offer any advice on this issue. I am in the process of setting up a new network domain in a new colo data centre. The plan is to setup about 4 new servers and eventually joing them upto our existing win 2003 domain running in another datacentre using a metro ethernet connection between the two.

I was thinking of setting up the new solution as a new domain and once it was up and running properly then join it to the other domain. Is this possible? What is the best way to set this up?

Any tips and suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks in advance

 

[TNGPicard]

I don't think you can join one domain to anohter, you can create trusts between the two or make one a sub domain of the other but they'll still be separate. Why not just join your new servers to the existing domain? What makes you think you need a separate/2nd one? do you have a different set of security requirements? It really depends on what you're going to be doing as far as what you need to do with your domain structure.

Mark / TNGPicard

 

[reynolwi]

you can create a sub "child" domain within the existing enterprise domain and that would possibly be the easiest. but like tngpicard asked why must it be a seperate domain? Since they are going to be joined the easiest thing to do would be to add them into your current structure instead of creating new.

Wm. Reynolds
RRWDS | TxPSS

http://www.rrwds.com

http://www.txpubsafety.com

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[Fox1977]

The two different domains are running in two different datacentres. The idea i'm thinking is that i want the two systems to be able to run in the event of any problems in the other. I wouldnt want both solutions pulled down if there were any problems with the connection or the first solution.

If i setup a child domain will this stay running in the event that the domain controller at the other end is inaccessible?

Thanks for the advice

 

[TNGPicard]

As long as you put a domain controller in each data center and one global catalog in each data center if the link is lost between the data centers or one is down you continue to function by having a domain controller in each site (which is recommended when you have multiple sites). The domain controllers in each site (data center) replicate to each other, each data center has the whole thing so one is down the other is not (or even if the domain controller in DAta Center A goes down but not the whole thing, the rest can still function by having stuff in B). If you have separate domains and you lose one data center you are going to have a certain amount of SOL if you don't have at least one domain controller for the downed domain.

There is no reason you can't have mutliple domains, either with trusts or as child domains as you suggest but the question is really WHY. You can do what you want to do with one active directory domain and utilizing a domain controller in each site and sites & services. It would be a lot less of a management hassle for sure to stay with one domain.

Mark / TNGPicard

 

[Fox1977]

Hi folks,

Thanks for all of the advice. After listening to what you are saying i think we are going to keep them in the same domain and have a couple of domain controllers at either end.

Much appreciated