Wide Area Networks & Domain Logons

[RobC]

As part of our managed service, our network is a WAN covering all primary & secondary schools in the area. All secondary schools have two servers locally, one of which is a DC, DNS & DHCP server, while there is a server farm centrally that holds the main DC, ISA, Exchange, etc, servers.

 

Am I correct in my assumptions that if the main server farm goes down, or we lose the link to it, we should still be able to operate on a local level (albeit without internet, external e-mail, or connections to other schools)? At the moment what happens is that logons take about 20 minutes, and then you cannot access any network drives or applications which makes it pointless logging on.

 

I really want to have my facts straight for writing to them so any advice is welcome.

[Dos_Box]

At the moment what happens is that logons take about 20 minutes, and then you cannot access any network drives or applications which makes it pointless logging on.

 

If your authority has a central server with everyones logons that sounds dammed stupid to me. If you have a DC locally what I would suggest is that the DNS address dished out to clients is the local DC's one. What it sounds like is that they are trying to authenticate at LEA level not locally. Change where your clients look first. Also ensure the local DNS servers is setup correctly.

It's always DNS!!!!!!

[RobC]

Funny, I had a feeling it was DNS. Once again though, I don't have the necessary access to do this, but at least I have some information to tell them.

 

Cheers, DB

[RobC]

Ok, I've just had a sneaky peak into the DHCP & DNS settings (although I shouldn't) and the DNS servers listed in DHCP are the main DCs in the server farm.

 

Am I correct in thinking that my local DNS server should be the primary DNS, with the server farm DNS server being the secondary? And what changes may be required within the DNS settings themselves?

 

RobC.

[ChrisH]

You shouldnt have to change the DNS servers settings just the clients. They will be set to replicate with each other. Also having a local global catalogue will help with certain things.