New Network

[Guest]

I work fo a Mid size school district.
The school District is devided in to 3 seperate networks. First 2 networks
have 600 pc each, other network is a single school w/ 75 pc. Total of about
1400 pc in disrtict. Networks are not connection each other, but all have
internet connections T1 in first 2, the 2nd 512 line. We currently have a
Novell 5.1 and I am trying to plane for a new Windows 2003 network, that we
will be starting to in stall this summer. We are also tring to pass a leavy
to connect all buildings by fiber and build a new elem., but that will be 6
mouths befor I know if it will pass or not. The point to all this is, is it
better to create a single domain, setup sites for the individual networks and
create VPN connections throw the internet for site replacation, and then
remove this if we get the fiber passed. OR setup one parent domain then
create child domains for reach network. I know that it is "Best Practice" to
limit the number fo domains in you network. If I set it up this way than I
have a bunch of extra domains if the leavy passes and we put fiber in.

 

[Phillip Windell]

better to create a single domain, setup sites for the individual networks and
create VPN connections throw the internet for site replacation, and then
remove this if we get the fiber passed. OR setup one parent domain then
create child domains for reach network. I know that it is "Best Practice" to
limit the number fo domains in you network. If I set it up this way than I
have a bunch of extra domains if the leavy passes and we put fiber in.

Best practice is just one domain,...but that is a "relative" thing,...if
each building has an independent network then a domain at each building
would still be "one domain". We have over 20 sites North American wide,
each site has their own Domain, but it is still a single domain model
because their is no interaction between the sites at the "Windows Domain"
level. But anyway..I digress....

It depends on how you manage it. Is it one IT Dept for the entire district?
or will each school have a IT staff? Separate staffs may require
independence from each other which would mean separate domains with "trusts"
between them. Is it one "saff" for the whole thing?..then I would say one
Domain, just one,..forget the complexities of deal with "child domains".
You would build a DC for each site (all the same domain). Use the "Sites"
object in Active Directory to represent the physical sites and place the
domain controller object to the proper domain controller inot the proper
Site object that correspondes. Active Directory uses the "Sites" model to
control replication between the DCs when there may be slow WAN links between
the DCs.

Even if you have faster "fiber" between sites,..pretend that you
don't,...build it as if you had only the 512k line between all sites. Let
the faster speeds if you get them just be "icing on the cake".

Your Domain structure is more based on management needs and company
"politics" than it is based on anything about "networking".