One Admin Standarizing an Entire Corporation

[peopleperson88]

Here is what I'm facing. I'll take any suggestions. (It is almost like a test questions...but with no wrong answer.)

My company (20 users, 1 Domain, Internet Presence) has just been acquired by another company that doesn't specialize in Computers. They have 5 office Nationwide all with an Internet Precense (Total users of their company about 50). We are keeping our name and they are keeping theirs so essentially we have 2 companies running as one.

The CEO visited our site and dedicated me to standarize their entire operation, from Servers to Applications on all sites. (VERY exiciting) I have no support from my staff in this manner (not because they don't want to help but because they don't know enough to help).

For sure these things are going to occure.
- Each office will have direct Internet access from their site. (So I figured I would use the Internet to replication all information)
- All Server will be at least Windows 2000 Server and all workstation Windows 2000 Professional
- I'm going to need to access all servers nationwide from one location
- There will be segmented sites at each location so replication will only occure after hours.

I have an idea on how to configure the things listed below but I want to make sure that I'm not looking over anything. Perhaps there is a way that I'm not thinking about.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to structure the Domain (1 Tree or 2), DNS?, Where to place the GC, how to replication AD over the Internet. I was thinking VPN but I have never had to do this, so how I can create a VPN over the Internet? Do I dedicate a Server for VPN access, open the ports onthe firewall? If so, how can I configure that only AD information be trasmitted over this VPN connection and not queries for the Internet?

Any suggestions or comments or things that I might not have mentioned, are greatly appreciated. I'm going into this project with just my knowledge and no support staff so I'm hoping that you can help me.

 

[snootalope]

dude.. your question may be small but the answer would be frickin huge.. and unless someones getting paid for it, i doubt anyone's gonna try and type out your processes for ya.

I'll give ya a couple things to think about though..

First off, what's your data look like? do you need servers in every single office? What do your people do? Do they work with large (mb's or gig's) of data? Managment wouldn't be an issue cause of terminal service's, but trust me, without anyone technical out there, your gonna be spending lots of time talking to someone who doesn't know $hit..

You can get routers with a good bandwidth connection of like 512k and up, but that's going to be a little expensive, and maybe your company(s) make enough money that it wouldn't be an issue..

VPN's are easy, you just gotta have the right hardware/software combos.. like Cisco Concentrator's.. or whatever they are..

anyhow. if you have any brief questions, i'll be glad to help!
snoots

 

[crashax]

Look to Nortel VPN. It is a great system.

http://www.nortelnetworks.com/solutions/ip_vpn/index.html

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/lits/network/vpn/nortel.shtml

 

[bierhunter]

I agree, the answer to this is too big to post here.

Microsoft also has some info you may find handy on planning and deploying Active Directory. It covers enterprise networks for just what you're looking at.

Good luck, and you'll have fun. I've done this for a couple of military bases as well as our own company. It's a fun challenge. The first place I would start is with the project planning paperwork and design documents. Plan everything out. Make an outline and a checklist, and then take it step by step.

The hardest part to this will be seeing if upper management will actually give you the resources and 'time' to do it right. I've seen too many execs think that this can all be done in a couple of weeks without any costs, and when it's not they want to cut off heads. I just hope you're not being set up by the new company. I've seen that too.

But...hopefully it's a good thing and you'll have a fun time doing it.

 

[What90]

Just some thoughts,


Have one Tree and one domain (you don't have that many users so traffic AD traffic and replication should be fair light), a server per site that's a DC/GC/DNS (you should have two DC's per site for fault tolerence - but that cost more money ...)

Then I'd get a national ISP and use it for internet access/VPN connection to each office site.
If the ISP offers a VPN service then take that, otherwise get something like a Cisco Pix firewall for each site and build VPN connection between each of them.

Get a third party in to help you set the whole thing up and make sure the CEO knows that you need help to do this and it costs MONEY (they seem to think it should happen by magic and be free...)

Try to avoid users accessing remote data (word/excel/powerpoint/access) files and don't forget backups for each site!


As the folks above have mention, your asking a lot of things. Getting someone or a company in to help you out will save alot of late nights ;-)


CNE, MCNE 4/5, MCSE 4/2000, CCNA