I have a corporate AD domain running on 2008 servers, for this question it is called X.com.
I also have an engineering group at a separate site, we are creating a separate network for them and want to add them as eng.x.com, they are running 2012
So, adding the subdomain to my AD should be easy, but since they are at another lcation, I am going to need to do Site replication and a bridgehead server, correct?
I have read up on doing the site replication and bridgehead server and how it works. But, I have a few questions.
1-I will need to setup an permanent VPN tunnel up between the 2 sites correct?
2-I am assuming that I have the right idea here.
3-When I setup the new controller on the new network, I don't have to be connected to the Corporate network?
Any other suggestions/information you can provide would be extremely helplful.
2) To know whether you have the right idea or not, you'll need to identify why you're creating this subdomain. Why do you feel you need a subdomain? How much of the infrastructure will be different than what you have? For example, you seem to have a 2008 domain and forest, do you have a requirement for engineering to have a higher functional level and a reason not to raise the level of the forest/primary domain? Unless you have some compelling reason for creating this child domain, I'd personally go for just creating another site and breaking them and their devices off onto a separate OU for group policy management.
3) You have to have connectivity to the root domain, yes. In order to create a child domain in a domain, the DC in the child domain has to be able to verify and communicate with the parent domain. You will need to create a AD site that resembles this new site for replication reasons (it's not a LAN link, so replication intervals will likely be spread out more).