eskIT Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Hi there, I currently have a setup where we have 2 separate domain servers. 1 for staff without the use of roaming profiles and 1 for students with the use of roaming profiles. Just wanted to find out the standard practice across schools etc. Our student domain is a mess and want to build a new server but if i can securely migrate them onto the staff DC then that would be easier but not sure if it is best practice? Any info would be beneficial.
ninjashadow Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 We have 2 Domain Servers but one domain. Everyone connects to it. We have both static and roaming profiles. The staff and the students have vastly diffrent permissions. It runs smoothly.
IrritableTech Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 In my nine schools all are on a single curriculum domain. Only two of the smallest ones still have an Admin domain. I'm not sure there are really any benefits to having staff and students on separate domains, only more work. Assuming that is that things are secured correctly on a single domain...
eskIT Posted March 25, 2014 Author Posted March 25, 2014 When you say secured correctly? Do you mean by having them in separate OUs and controlling Group Permissions?
Gardinho Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 (edited) We have one flat domain for all users. 3 DCs that replicate. IMO having 2 separate domains would be difficult to troubleshoot with no clear benefits. You can just configure what type of profile they have in AD anyway so this can easily be done in one domain. Edited March 25, 2014 by Gardinho
IrritableTech Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 When you say secured correctly? Do you mean by having them in separate OUs and controlling Group Permissions? Yep, also file and folder permissions etc. Nothing out of the ordinary, but things that need to be done right to ensure users can't access anything they shouldn't. Two domains may have been seen by some as more secure.
eskIT Posted March 25, 2014 Author Posted March 25, 2014 do you have your students on the same IP range as staff?
CapnPugwash Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 We have one flat domain for all users. 3 DCs that replicate. IMO having 2 separate domains would be difficult to troubleshoot with no clear benefits. You can just configure what type of profile they have in AD anyway so this can easily be done in one domain. Yep, same for us. Works great. - - - Updated - - - We have one flat domain for all users. 3 DCs that replicate. IMO having 2 separate domains would be difficult to troubleshoot with no clear benefits. You can just configure what type of profile they have in AD anyway so this can easily be done in one domain. Yep, same for us. Works great.
Steve21 Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Yep again, 8 schools all on single domains. (Well one that is currently split, but being moved to 1 during easter rebuild for Win7). As long as permissions etc locked down there's no real downside of it nowadays. Same IP ranges (Unless big school with vlans etc), same machines, blahblah, just different settings via GPO etc Steve
IrritableTech Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 do you have your students on the same IP range as staff? Yep. Our primary schools have a single flat network in most cases. At the high school we have VLANs, but they are geographical rather than user based.
dany2010 Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Five schools here, all use the same domain. Diferent GPO's for each site for software installs but they all use the same pupil and staff GPO's.
eskIT Posted March 25, 2014 Author Posted March 25, 2014 Excellent....Just what i wanted to hear Any recommended tools for exporting users from the student domain and importing to the staff/student domain?
p858snake Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Excellent....Just what i wanted to hear Any recommended tools for exporting users from the student domain and importing to the staff/student domain? I would just get a export from your student management system if you can, and just bulk create new ones instead of trying to move them from the old server.
hallb15 Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 Excellent....Just what i wanted to hear Any recommended tools for exporting users from the student domain and importing to the staff/student domain? You said the student domain was in a mess. Now is your chance to sort that. You can start by NOT exporting/importing student users. As @p858snake said get an export from your MIS of all students in csv format and use a Powershell script (if you're into Powershell) or one of the many other bulk add to AD tools availble. It may be more work now, but will be worth it.
3s-gtech Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 We have two domains (root for students, staff in a child), but it's purely legacy - if I was rebuilding it I'd just use one. Two work quite nicely when trusts etc are in place - they act as one for the most part here.
eskIT Posted March 25, 2014 Author Posted March 25, 2014 What FREE bulk add to AD tools are recommended? Cannot find any decent ones.
seawolf Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 What FREE bulk add to AD tools are recommended? Cannot find any decent ones. This one is very good http://www.wisesoft.co.uk/software/bulkadusers/default.aspx
Davit2005 Posted March 25, 2014 Posted March 25, 2014 If you can get the new users exported from your MIS system as CSV you could look at PowerShell, this can add users, create home folders add exchange mailboxes etc. It may take a bit of playing about with to get working but is completely free and you will get some valuable PowerShell skills.
eskIT Posted April 4, 2014 Author Posted April 4, 2014 Thanks all for your suggestions. I am using Account Management Spreadsheet for the creation of accounts. One more question, who uses roaming profiles with the students? If so where do you keep the profiles? Not sure if i should have a dedicated server just for STudent profiles, away from Staff documents/shares etc.
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