Bridgehead Server

[JD]

We have three sites in an AD 2003 mixed environment

Site 1
N. Americas
6 DCs

Site 2
S. Americas
4 DCs

Site 3
Germany
3 DCs


Am I suppose to delegate a preferred bridgehead server at each site (IP or
SMTP)?

Since we are all Windows 2003 DC, we went with all DCs as GC, but I also
wanted to know if I was to at least select one Bridgehead at each Site.

 

[Herb Martin]

We have three sites in an AD 2003 mixed environment
Site 1
N. Americas
6 DCs
Site 2
S. Americas
4 DCs
Site 3
Germany
3 DCs

Am I suppose to delegate a preferred bridgehead server at each site (IP or
SMTP)?

Not unless you have a specific need to do so, meaning some
positive reason or issue you have.

If you leave it alone, the KCC and friends will pick the
bridgehead server and fail over automatically when it is
down. If you pick, then you must ensure at least one picked
bridgehead is always available.

Issues encouraging the picking of bridgehead servers include:

1) Firewall filter sets -- limiting these to only one or a few
possibilities.
2) Preventing or requiring some specific DC to be the BH-DC
due to other work loads.

(#2 is almost never a real reason -- #1 is common when you must
traverse semi-public networks, e.g., Sprint, SBC, etc....

Since we are all Windows 2003 DC, we went with all DCs as GC, but I also
wanted to know if I was to at least select one Bridgehead at each Site.

Yes, but if you leave it alone they ALL will be potentials;
if you turn that off by picking 1 or more, YOU are responsible.
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