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I am running an active directory network with one main location with a few servers (some of them vms) doing different things (file, and print server, exchange...) and about 50 client workstations. Outside clients log in via vpn.<br />
our top level container (or default naming context?) is &quot;thirdlevel.secondlevel.tl<wbr />d&quot;. So any identified host is &quot;host.thirdlevel.secondlev<wbr />el.tld&quot; <br />
I would like to &quot;shed&quot; one level to bring it down to &quot;secondlevel.tld&quot; or &quot;host.secondlevel.tld&quot; respectively.<br />
This being a production environment, is it better to:<br />
1. Setup a completely new forest and recreate/migrate stuff over<br />
2. Rename the current to the new<br />
And how would you go about it?<br />
Or is there something I haven't thought of? 
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I am running an active directory network with one main location with a few servers (some of them vms) doing different things (file, and print server, exchange...) and about 50 client workstations. Outside clients log in via vpn.
our top level container (or default naming context?) is "thirdlevel.secondlevel.tld". So any identified host is "host.thirdlevel.secondlevel.tld" 
I would like to "shed" one level to bring it down to "secondlevel.tld" or "host.secondlevel.tld" respectively.
This being a production environment, is it better to:
1. Setup a completely new forest and recreate/migrate stuff over
2. Rename the current to the new
And how would you go about it?
Or is there something I haven't thought of? 

Renaming of active directory domain

Exchange is the server side of a collaborative application product that is part of the Microsoft Server infrastructure. Exchange's major features include email, calendaring, contacts and tasks, support for mobile and web-based access to information, and support for data storage.

Exchange

Active Directory (AD) is a Microsoft brand for identity-related capabilities. In the on-premises world, Windows Server AD provides a set of identity capabilities and services, and is hugely popular (88% of Fortune 1000 and 95% of enterprises use AD). This topic includes all things Active Directory including DNS, Group Policy, DFS, troubleshooting, ADFS, and all other topics under the Microsoft AD and identity umbrella.