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Test lab site or separate child domain

Experts looking for some quick advice on how to implement a test/qa lab into a single domain one site one forest one subnet lan design. We're a small dev company starting out and i would like the test lab to be separated but still have some access to nw resources and vice versa, those controlled by firewall rules.

I am not clear if i should create a child.domain.local or a site under the existing domain. Either way I want the third octat of the nw/subnet scheme will be different from the exising lan nw/subnet. I will have five machines in that test labe with virtuals being added down the line.

I have wg e550 core fw, managed swiches and ad s2003 soon(but not for 60 days or soon) upgrading to 2008 ad.

advice/thought?

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MidnightOne

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Laxmang

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dee30

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I'd love to have the test lab completely separate from the domain and do simple sharing of files for file transfer but you can only imagine the push back. The thing is they supposedly need all sorts of access out to nw resources and others like support, training, and dev need access in. Testing printering across the nw, cc verification software, other software etc... It's like trying to change bandage on a mummy never ending.... :) Although we're just now trying to get formal in our setup they have been at this for a while and getting by and are adament they need access for nw things. I dont really want to have an indpendant domain in the labe via say a vm server, etc to maitain, nor do i truly want the extra maint of a child domain and was considerin sites. I'm definitely taking all advice / logic into consideration.

dee30

ASKER

Thanks for the imput.

Laxmang

As you said ; they supposedly need all sorts of access out to nw resources and others like support, training, and dev need access in. Testing printering across the nw, cc verification software, other software etc...

all this things are possible in visualization using VMware or use Microsoft virtual PC
you can even configure.RAID , use sound card, can access USB port of host machine in to Virtual Machine (VM)
sing VM is as good as using separate server hard ware to run business. VMware is much much advanced. you can do things, that you can do with actual hardware server. some of my US London based client are running there business on Virtual Machines.