FSMO Backup Server

Okay thanks, We'll have to seize the role .

We have 200 clients in one site. we are reducing our DCs now down to 5 or so. Too mainy before.

5 is TOO many too.  One site of 200 clients only needs 2 DCs.  And one DC would be FAR more than enough - if you didn't want redundancy (which I don't recommend). I had 3 DCs handling 600 Windows clients in 2 sites and NEVER had a problem with performance - we often through a few file shares on them for "less important" items as well, they were SO underutilized.

2DCs and make them both Global Catalogs.  Done.

Beware of the FSMO Infrastructure master.... it doesn't play well with global catalog being on the same server UNLESS ALL your DCs are GCs

CGretski - can you post supporting links to that statement?  What happens, etc?

which statement? PDC or infrastructure?

actually - both can be found in google's cache

http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:__3_1JAxThwJ:www.chartercollege.org/Microsoft_Course_Files/2279/2279%2520PDF/6259609.pdf+%22Do+not+make+a+domain+controller+that+hosts+the+global+catalog+an+infrastructure%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1 

( Microsoft course 2279B - module 9 )

Ok, I remember that now.  Good to point out.  But I stand by my first statement - which still holds true:
2DCs and make them both Global Catalogs.  Done.

we have 10 branches all high speed connected so there is no issue with replication. You could say we should have them all in different sites I suppose.  In case of a problem with one or two of our branches going down we thought we'd keep 4 DC/GC..