Where would you install it?

[punisher5555]

I have a multi-domain forest.

abc.com (forest root)
/ / / def.com ghi.com
child.ghi.com


All replication/authenication in the Active Directory is working perfectly.
Company now wants to install a Exchange2000 to handle mail for everyone in the Active Directory.
I know how to get Exchange2k to host multiple SMTP domains.
But where do I install the Exchange2k server in the Active Directory so that all the domain users in the Forest can get to it?
You know, when you make a new user any where in the forest in any of the domains the exchange email screen shows up when you are creating him/her.

 

[brontosaurus]

one exchange org encompasses an entire forest, so essentially it doesn't matter which domain you put the server, all other domains will see it. Two things though, if you decide to put servers in multiple domains, remember to run domainprep in each one, and if you have users from multiple domains connecting to a server in a separate domain, you must create a separate recipient update service for each domain instance.

 

[bottlecap]

yep, but you could get replication traffic, so there probably is an optimal place(Where most users are located, or right smack in the middle of all locations. SMTP clients might get retrieving data from server messages if the connection is slow (bandwidth or traffic)

 

[brontosaurus]

very true, i was working under the assumption that users were spread out and domains had similar connectivity between them. good point bottlecap.

 

[punisher5555]

The middle location is the top level of the forest. There are no "users" there. The top level is a dedicated forest root domain in which only administrative accounts that control forest-wide administration tasks.

I have already Forestprep there and domainprep the other locations.

I was thinking putting it in the forest root since the domains are connected via T1 speed VPN links.

I appreciate your comments. It is always good to ask if you don't know.