DNS Servers in a "distributed" network

[Guest]

I am migrating from a peer to peer setup to a domain enviroment and need some advice. I have three locations serving about 30 clients each connected via a VPN. Currently each location has AD installed for the purpose of utilizing exchange server. After the domain is setup I will have exchange server replicating to one another. Question...would it be best to have one Master and two sub-domains or put it all on one domain. I would like, for speed issues, to have users authenticated by the server at their respective location. The other option I guess is to have a Primary Domain Controller at the admin offices an secondary DCs at the other two locations. But... would the secondarys authenticate their respective users???

Please send advice!!! Advantages/DisAdvantages to each???

 

[WebWomble]

It all depends on the speed and reliability of the VPN links. If the you
have one domain there will be a lot of replication traffic.

See the microsoft on-line help here =>
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/help/

Select "Active Directory" and read all about it. There is a "Best Practises"
section that will help alot.

DO NOT DO ANYTHING before you have read and understand it. How you design
this is crucial to the operation of your network.

I am in the middle of rebuilding a network now where the IT guy just jumped
in boots'n'all and made a big mess. His design caused the corruption of more
than half the data.

I am migrating from a peer to peer setup to a domain enviroment and need

some advice. I have three locations serving about 30 clients each connected
via a VPN. Currently each location has AD installed for the purpose of
utilizing exchange server. After the domain is setup I will have exchange
server replicating to one another. Question...would it be best to have one
Master and two sub-domains or put it all on one domain. I would like, for
speed issues, to have users authenticated by the server at their respective
location. The other option I guess is to have a Primary Domain Controller at
the admin offices an secondary DCs at the other two locations. But... would
the secondarys authenticate their respective users???