Setting up multiple sites with 1 shared Exchange Server 2003

[wesc78]

I've setup a Windows Server 2003 Std domain running Exchange server 2003 Std. Now I'm setting up a second site (not in the same city) and want to have it use the same Exchange Server for email. It will also be running Windows Server 2003 Std. Is it possible to have the second site use the original site's Exchange server for email? I think it would require setting up a domain trust for authentication purposes but I've never dealt with this before. I'd appreciate any info. Thanks

 

[RichardHuang]

How do you want to setup the domain info for second site? If you use the same domain or create a sub-domain in the new site, you don't need any domain trust. Multiple sites have no problem to share the same Exchange 2003 server.

 

[wesc78]

Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking about making it a sub-domain. In order to have connectivity between them would I setup a VPN tunnel?

 

[RichardHuang]

Yes, you should setup the VPN tunnel between the two sites.

 

[wesc78]

Do you know where I can go to find more information about setting up Exchange for a subdomain?

 

[58sniper]

Why a subdomain and not just another Site in AD?

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

 

[wesc78]

Which one would better suit this situation - we have one office with a Windows 2003 Std server set up and now we're going to add another office with it's own Win2K3 Std server. Each office has it's own network/Windows admin and each office's administration will be separate apart from Exchange 2003 serving both sites from the original office.

 

[DJCopa]

As 58sniper said - just another site would be fine. It's how we work here. Just setup the relationship in AD Sites and Services, and ensure that DNS is working at remote site.