Installing AD without using the domain controller features ?

[Matthieu Gaillet]

Hello,

I wonder if what I'm planning to do makes sense and / or if it will work the
way I thought :

I would like to use the Active Directory server features of w2k but without
using the Domain Controller facilities.

We are a small company with many tests PCs and some (5) laptops used to do
the regular work. We would like to take advantage of the Active Directory
features of W2k server but for this we need to configure it as Domain
Controller, right ?
I don't think that configuring all our network to log onto a domain would be
a good idea because it seems to me that it is not flexible enough (we have
multiple OS, configs, subnets, ...).

Is it possible to keep our workgroup-based network installation when having
a domain controller enabled ? Does all the AD features work in the same way
? (DHCP, LDAP, ...)


Thanks for sharing your feelings with me !

Matthieu, Belgium

 

[Tomasz Onyszko]

Hello,

I wonder if what I'm planning to do makes sense and / or if it will work the
way I thought :

I would like to use the Active Directory server features of w2k but without
using the Domain Controller facilities.

We are a small company with many tests PCs and some (5) laptops used to do
the regular work. We would like to take advantage of the Active Directory
features of W2k server but for this we need to configure it as Domain
Controller, right ?
I don't think that configuring all our network to log onto a domain would be
a good idea because it seems to me that it is not flexible enough (we have
multiple OS, configs, subnets, ...).

Is it possible to keep our workgroup-based network installation when having
a domain controller enabled ? Does all the AD features work in the same way
? (DHCP, LDAP, ...)

You will not have AD without domain controller - it is not possible.

 

[Matthieu Gaillet]

The question was to enable the domain controller but not using it. I would
leave all my machines on a workgroup, leaving the domain controller on its
own.

Matt

 

[Tomasz Onyszko]

The question was to enable the domain controller but not using it. I would
leave all my machines on a workgroup, leaving the domain controller on its
own.

OK, but for waht You need AD in this case?
You don't have to add computers to odmina - You wil not be able to use
PO management , uses will have to logo on separatly to access resources
etc.

Does all the AD features work in the same way
? (DHCP, LDAP, ...)

Hmm, please describe Your needs more closely becous If You want to get
DHCP running and LDAP server on Your network but without users
authentication in the system, maybe You can use ADAM (DHCP don't need AD
to be running, DNS and some other services too)

 

[Jimmy Andersson [MVP]]

Why would you want to do this? Can you give more specific info on your
needs?

Regards,
/Jimmy
--
Jimmy Andersson, Q Advice AB
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
---------- www.qadvice.com ----------

The question was to enable the domain controller but not using it. I would
leave all my machines on a workgroup, leaving the domain controller on its
own.

Matt

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same

 

[Matthieu Gaillet]

Ok, let's clarify my idea

To summarize, I would like to not put all our computers on a domain, because
none of them are fixed machines and because we would lost flexibility.

But as it seems mandatory to configure a w2k(3) server as a domain
controller in order to enable the Active Directory features that we need
(especially LDAP server & DHCP server, and in the future an MS Sharepoint
server which also need a domain controller), I wonder if it make sense and
if it works to declare the server as a domain controller but leaving all the
other machines on a workgroup...

I hope it's clearer ;-)

Matthieu

 

[Jimmy Andersson [MVP]]

Yes it would work, but you'll need to authenticate to access domain
resources though.

Regards,
/Jimmy
--
Jimmy Andersson, Q Advice AB
Microsoft MVP - Directory Services
---------- www.qadvice.com ----------

 

[Tomasz Onyszko]

Ok, let's clarify my idea

To summarize, I would like to not put all our computers on a domain, because
none of them are fixed machines and because we would lost flexibility.

But as it seems mandatory to configure a w2k(3) server as a domain
controller in order to enable the Active Directory features that we need
(especially LDAP server & DHCP server, and in the future an MS Sharepoint

As I said earlier - LDAP and DHCP does not require deploying AD - You
can use DHCP standalone and ADAM as an LDAP server

In feature when You will deploy Sharepoint You will need AD and the
users will need to authenticate against AD to access his resources