Hello Peter,
it depends on what you intend to test in your lab. Since
lab security is usually more relaxed than production security (e.g. external
employees getting domain admin access to test scripts or whatever) I wouldn't
want my user-accounts (and worse - service and admin accounts) in the lab with
their real passwords. If you just want the structure you can use the scripts
provided with GPMC, and export/import user data without passwords using csvde.
I'd just put the stuff in the lab you need there, e.g. if you just want to test
GPOs the OU-Structure and some test accounts would be sufficient, if you want to
test scripting for modifying users or provisioning you might need some more
data.
Pulling some backup / introducing another DC / pulling
drives of a RAID-mirror are valid solutions if you need production data. I'd do
a imaging-backup or pulling/replacing a drive if I have the same hardware. Also
keep in mind that virtualisation is a valid solution, you can use P2V in VMWare
or Virtual Server Migration Tool in VS. Virtualisation also provides you with
the logical splitting of the production network to the test network, while still
being able to access the test environment from any production machine. I've
started to like to put my test-environment in the datacenter (well protected)
and access it of my workplace.
This is another important point: I've also found that I was
lazily considering if I should go in the room with the test equipment when I
knew I have to be back at my workplace soon or expected some important emails.
Being able to access the test environment from the desk enables me more often to
use the test environment when testing a script or something. If the test
environemnt is physical I was sometimes putting a RDP-enabled workstation with
two legs in between, so I was able to RDP to the workstation and then RDP into
the test environment. And multimonitor at the primary desk also provides a great
gain in productivity - e.g. RDP Fullscreen on the second
monitor.
Just my 0,02€
Gruesse - Sincerely,
Ulf B. Simon-Weidner
MVP-Book "Windows XP - Die Expertentipps":
http://tinyurl.com/44zcz
Weblog:
http://msmvps.org/UlfBSimonWeidner
Website: http://www.windowsserverfaq.org
Profile: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile="">
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Peter Johnson
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 4:57 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [ActiveDir] Migrating AD to a labHi all
I was wondering, after finally got management buy in to build a lab, what the easist way is to get my domain info migrated into the lab for the purposes of testing dev etc?
Do I simply Dcpromo a new box and then cut it off from the domain and NTDSUTIL it out or do I do a state recoverey from my Tivoli backups?
Anyone got any ideas/pointers etc.
Thanks & greetings from a chill server room in Johannesburg South Africa.
Peter Johnson
