AD Design Replication Scenario

To whom it may concern:
I am the IT Administrator for the company and I have been asked to give my recommendations for the Active Directory Replication Design of the two new Branches. The first I can recommend for you is that all the information that is needed for each new site is correctly documented and added to the Root Active Directory through the Active Directory sites and services. This is done because the Root AD automatically builds the inter-site replication topology based on the information provided about the new site connections. Each new site’s AD will have one each domain controller that is known as the inter-site topology generator and they are assigned to build the topology at their sites. To add two new branch offices we will need to find a strategy to design a replication process. To implement this we will need to use inter-site replication. Inter-site replication is needed when adding domain controllers located in different sites. We will also need a site link (Site link is a logical, transitive connection between two sites that allows replication to occur) protocol of Remote Procedure Call (RPC) over Internet Protocol (IP) which is the preferred choice for the replication process.

This allows you to communicate with network services on various computers and also keep data secure when being transmitted by using both encryption and authentication. We will need to take into consideration the cost, schedule, and frequency of the replication. It’s best to set the schedule for the site link during off-peak business hours to ensure the bandwidth is not bogged down on the WAN, due to replication traffic. Frequency will determine how often information is replicated over the site link. I think the best schedule/frequency for the replication would be every 6/hrs starting at 0600/daily. Before installing the new domain controllers and before we begin the replication process, we will need to setup the IP addressing or sub netting for the new locations. We will want to use subnets that reflect our current IP addressing scheme. This will be important to make sure there are connections between hosts and domain controllers as needed.

Now my individual recommendation for Branch Office # 1 is that I would recommend having a 56k POTS line for a redundant backup line. I feel that the redundant 56k POTS line would be justified because if the main ISPs T1 lines went down then you could always use dial-up to get updates for your servers. Because this Branch has a Call Center with a high employee turnover it is imperative that there be some means of connection in case an employee is fired or his/her account needs to be updated across the domain. As for Branch # 2 office I would recommend using Simple Mail Transport Protocol for replication. I also would suggest that because of the very remote location of this site and the utilizing connection (56k POTS Line) I would recommend that the company invest in satellite internet service either as a main source of telecommunications link or as a redundant line. It would be more cost effective if the company used the satellite connection only for redundancy purposes. Based on my knowledge of AD Replication Design this was my recommendation to you. If you have any future concern or questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Bibliography

Coney, S. (2010, January 24). Manage Active Directory Replication. Retrieved from Stuart Coney: http://stuartconey.com/wp/?p=532 Ewanco, E. (2012). Frequently Asked Questions about 56k Data Services. Retrieved from MVA.net: http://www.mva.net/support/56kfaq.html Microsoft. (2012, April 26). Window Server Creating A Site Link Design. Retrieved from Tech Net.Microsoft.com: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732837(v=ws.10).aspx Posey, B. (2003, March 20). Build Your Skills: How to optimize Active Directory replication. Retrieved from Tech Republic / US: http://www.techrepublic.com/article/build-your-skills-how-to-optimize-active-directory-replication/