Adding AD sites to existing domain. What do i need to change.

[dany2010]

Hi,

 

Our school is based over five sites linked in over a WAN.

 

Currently its setup how the previous guy left it with one domain and one site (still named default-first-site-name).

 

I have setup DFS-R to replicate all data in a few of our admin folder (apps etc) and would now like to setup a domain namespace.

I have done this but where all computers are in the same site it will go to any of the five servers in the site to access the data rather than the one on site.

 

So by reading a little it looks like AD sites is what i need.

 

Problem is i've not done this one before. I will be trying it out on a demo network.

 

When i add new sites, will:

 

Users still be able to lgoin at any site?

Group policies still apply to all sites?

i have a single active directory for all sites?

 

 

Also any other tips or issues to watch out for would be appreciated.

 

Thanks

[FN-GM]

Yes to all questions. To the end user they will have no idea that you have sites.

 

You just make a site and assign that subnet to that site.

[dany2010]

Excellent.

 

The server at the other sites are just file server and arnt domain controllers.

 

Would they need to be promoted?

[FN-GM]

No should be fine. Although i would put a DC on each site anyway incase the link goes down.

[Geoff]

You should do that anyway, the whole point of multi site AD is to have local users use local resources rather than pull stuff across WAN links. Which is a better situation for all involved.

[mavhc]

Sites are handy, don't forget to enable GPMC to see sites, they you can add per site GPOs, I have a GPO to set the WSUS server to the one on whichever site you're using. Also my logon script checks which site it's at, and which site your computer and user normally are at, and assigns shares and printers. If a teacher visits a different site, they get just 1 printer from that site added, instead of all of them. Also it warns them that access to their home site may be slower than usual.