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bobbydall2000

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AD Multiple locations SBS 2008

Hello all.

I have a main site using Windows 2008 SBS server.  Using Exchange to manage email for the whole comapny and the SBS box is also AD, DHCP and file server.  the domain is setup as "company.local' and there is a mix of XP and Windows 7 machines.  All works ok.

The company has 2 other locations.  They want to start centralizing control from the main office.  The first location already has a Windows 2003 SBS server running Exchange, DHCP and AD for that local domain called "remote.local".  

Questions, can I use that location 2 SBS 2003 server and hook it's AD into the main office AD so the main office controls everything with central user management?  as an example if a user from the main office goes to the remote location and logs into a computer there he will get his login scripts and mapped drives, etc.

The two remote locations will have a VPN active back to the main office through a Ciso routers.  Do I need to let certain traffic throught the VPN's for AD?

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Cris Hanna
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bobbydall2000

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I had that feeling about SBS 2003.  SBS likes to be the only server in the environment.  It's just a shame to have to get rid of that SBS 2003 server.

The Cisco routers have created a hardware VPN between locations.  Do I need to allow specific traffic through the VPN for AD?
No...you shouldn't have to...VPN should allow all traffic to pass
Would something like this work if I disabled Exchange:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884453
Never mind that link, SBS 2003 would need to be the root controller.
You are correct, There can be only one SBS server in the domain.
You could buy a new server 2008 license and install on the old server after data and email is migrated
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And I'm just going to point out your could run both sites on SBS. One site using SBS 2008 and the other site using SBS 2003. It's not the ideal solution as you have to manage them as separate domains, mail servers, and such. You'd probably want to use subdomains for each sites e-mail (i.e. user@site1.company.com and user@site2.company.com. It would make handling roaming users difficult and again it's not the best possible solution. Guess I'm mainly stating this as times are difficult and this option may be possible if the funding is unavailable for the "better" options.
doesn't exactly accomplish the goal posted by the author in the original post..."They want to start centralizing control from the main office"
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