RE: [ActiveDir] Need Help on a Decision

[Rick Kingslan]

Title: Need Help on a Decision

Jennifer,

 

If you and the new acquisition both have Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000, then the answer to one of your questions is no, you cannot share the GAL information without some connecting piece.  By connecting piece I mean a piece of software that will replicate information for one DS to the other.  Microsoft's solution to this is the Microsoft Metadirectory Services, currently at a version 2.2, 3.0 due shortly.

 

If the Exchange environments are 5.5 to 5.5 or 5.5 to 2000, it opens up a number of new possibilities.  Such as using the ADC, etc.

 

Depending on what the long term goals are, the size of the acquisition, etc. a careful business plan coupled with technical constraints are going to be a solid foundation for making decisions. 

 

Sadly, I have none of the information in front of me to tell me that A) you should deploy one of your DCs and migrate their Exchange B) create a resource network and move both of your Exchanges into the resource network and publish contact objects C) get MMS (or what ever synch tool) and do a Forest to Forest synch.

 

Rick Kingslan  MCSE, MCSA, MCT
Microsoft MVP - Active Directory
Associate Expert
Expert Zone - www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
 

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From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jennifer Fountain
Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 11:11 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

I am in a bit of a quandary about a decision I have to make and need some advice from some local (or not so local) experts.  We are located in the US and have a branch in sweden (recent purchase).  They already have established a domain and exchange server.  We are trying to decide should we change their entire enviroment and install a DC from our domain and reconfigure (basically export/import mailboxes) reinstalll their exchange server to be part of our org OR do a trust relationship and be done with it (I believe you can share GALs in exchange)

What (in your opinion) is the best option here?  should we take control or establish a trust? which is more secure? 

IMO, I think we should establish the trust - easier on them, us and IMO more secure because I do not have to give their users domain users access - or am i wrong?

Thanks for any input!
Jenn