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DFS-R replication between an Existing Windows Server 2008 R2 and a new branch Office Windows 2012 R2 Server

Hi all,

I currently have a site with DFS-R setup on Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. It had been working fine with another branch running server 2008 R2 which now has been decommissioned.

We need to now setup another branch office server at another site and we are thinking of running Server 2012 R2 Standard on it, and setting up the DFS-R role on it.

Is there any issue with running Server 2008 R2 Ent and Server 2012 R2 Standard with the DFS-R roles installed?

What would be the recommended method to prestage this data on this new server?

Thanks in advance.

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kevinhsieh

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msha094

ASKER

I can get them connected to the lan first before i ship to the branch office. Probably talking about 60 - 80 GB. I'd prefer to stage it at their HQ first, then ship to branch and sync the changed data since this staging process.

This server will become a branch office DC once shipped to the branch. How should i go about this process?

Something like:

Take to HQ
Add to existing domain
add DFS role and add as a replication member
replicate data over local LAN
configure branch as a site in sites and services, with subnet etc
ship to branch
add as DC, GC, DNS and DHCP for the site

kevinhsieh

I would first make the server a domain controller, and then do the other stuff. I have a fake site in AD where I put domain controllers that I don't want people using. You can do that or have it in the HQ site to start. Configuration DFS and all of the other services before you ship it. If you can change the IP addresses just before shipping so that it is plug and play on the other side, even better! Note that if you make it a read only domain controller that I recommend that you leave it as DHCP because you would need to be able to contact a another domain controller before you can login. It would such to not be able to login and fix the network because you can't get on the network.

msha094

ASKER

Once I've configured everything, I move it to the new site and obviously change its ip. How does this effect the hq site? Do I need to do any cleanup? Does moving it to a new site keep all of the links as a replication partner in dfs as those detail site that each partner is located in.

kevinhsieh

DFS won't care about the IP address changing. The only cleanup you should need to do is to make sure that DNS is correct, and to place the server in the correct site with AD Sites and Services. Of course you also want to make sure that DHCP is working properly at the new site, and that everything at the branch is pointing to valid DNS servers.

Seth Simmons

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