Chapter 4: Designing theActive Directory Domain Structure

MICROSOFT EXAM OBJECTIVES COVERED IN THIS CHAPTER:

• Analyze the impact of Active Directory on the existing technical environment.

  • Analyze interoperability requirements.

• Analyze existing network operating system implementation.

  • Identify the existing domain model.

• Analyze security requirements for the Active Directory directory service.

  • Identify the existing trust relationships.

• Design the Active Directory infrastructure to meet business and technical requirements.

  • Create the conceptual design of the Active Directory domain structure.

  • Design the Active Directory replication strategy.

• Analyze the impact of the infrastructure design on the existing technical environment.

  • Analyze interoperability requirements.

• Design a user and computer authentication strategy.

  • Optimize authentication by using shortcut trust relationships.

• Design an Active Directory naming strategy.

  • Identify Internet domain name registration requirements.

  • Specify the use of hierarchical namespace within Active Directory.

• Design migration paths to Active Directory.

  • Define whether the migration will include an in-place upgrade, domain restructuring, or migration to a new Active Directory environment.

After you determine what the forest structure should look like, you will need to investigate the domain structure. You will find several similarities between domains and forests when determining how many domains should be used. The primary design goal for the forest structure is administrative control. The same holds true for the domain design.

Within this chapter, we will introduce the requirements and decision criteria for domain design. We will also discuss the reasons why you would want to create multiple domains instead of using a single domain for your design.