Chapter 7. Active Directory Infrastructure

In This Chapter

• Understanding Active Directory Replication

• Active Directory Sites

• Planning Replication Topology

• Windows Server 2003 IPv6 Support

• Real-World Replication Designs

In an ideal world, all areas of your network would be connected with high-capacity links, and every server would communicate with each other without latency or congestion. Computers would unite and throw off the bandwidth shackles that tie them down. Alas, no real networks work this way, and traffic concerns must be taken into consideration in all but the smallest, single-server Active Directory (AD) structure. Windows Server 2003 expands upon Active Directory's replication capabilities introduced in Windows 2000 with a range of new features and functionality. Consequently, the introduction of these new capabilities greatly increases the capabilities of Active Directory and also changes some of the fundamental design elements of AD replication.