Re: Creating a test Domain/Forest (need Help Please)

From: Don Wilwol (donwilwol_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 02/15/05 

Date: Tue, 15 Feb 2005 07:55:11 -0500

One more idea, you could create the DC in the test lab using dcpromo /adv.
The upgrades to a DC using a backup of the production environment.
It still should not touch your production environment however. 

-- 
Hope it helps...........
dw
Don Wilwol
Blog - http://spaces.msn.com/members/wilwol/
Web - http://capital.net/~wilwol/dw.htm
DonWilwol@yahoo.com
"ptwilliams" <ptw2001@hotmail.com> wrote in message 
news:%23FxJSBzEFHA.2568@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> If you take this approach, here's the KB to help clean up afterwards:
> -- http://support.microsoft.com/?id=216498
>
>
> Other options could be:
>
> Image an existing DC using something like Ghost or PQDI.
> Restore from backup (always a good one as you get to test a bit of DR work
> too ;-)
> Setup a DC and Exchange, and then export and import using LDIFDE.
> Create a new domain and use a script to populate it with random names, 
> etc.
>
> In several of these instances, it would be very unwise to have the test
> domain on the same network as the real one, or put the test box back into
> production.  Ensure you have a separate, self contained environment, and
> that the test boxes are destroyed after use ;-)
>
>
> -- 
>
> Paul Williams
>
> http://www.msresource.net/
> http://forums.msresource.net/
>
> "Mark Gamache" <mark.gamache@css-security.com> wrote in message
> news:OX4BIVvEFHA.732@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Don is right on.
>
> You may want to install AD integrated DNS on the server too.
>
> Here's a link that you may want.
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/standard/proddocs/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/windowsserv/2003/standard/proddocs/en-us/sag_ADrespondFSMOfailures.asp
>
> If your one server will be the only one in your dev environment, then you
> should seize all roles, not just FSMO.
>
> Also, make sure that you have fully replicated before pulling the DC
> offline.
>
> You will also want to make sure to pull the DC out of your prod 
> environment
> lest you get replication errors.
>
> Cheers,
>
> -- 
> Mark Gamache
> Certified Security Solutions
> http://www.css-security.com
>
>
>
> "Don Wilwol" <donwilwol@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:uO7vtGvEFHA.2052@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> You can build a second DC on your network, move it to the test lab, seize
>> the fsmo roles, you then have an exact copy of your production AD. Once
>> you move it though, it should NEVER touch the real network again.
>>
>> You will then need to set up the exchange server. You can use exmerge to
>> copy the mailboxes in production, and restore them in test. If you have
>> the possibility of using your normal backup/restore procedure in your lab
>> environment, you could use that instead for the mailbox restore to the
>> test lab.
>>
>> -- 
>> Hope it helps...........
>>
>> dw
>>
>> Don Wilwol
>> Blog - http://spaces.msn.com/members/wilwol/
>> Web - http://capital.net/~wilwol/dw.htm
>> DonWilwol@yahoo.com
>>
>> "Mike Adams" <MikeAdams@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:EE978FFB-B6BF-4107-9D9B-B8CF8CC1F165@microsoft.com...
>>>I want to create a Test domain that has all my user accounts.  Does 
>>>anyone
>>> know how to do this?
>>>
>>>  My plan is to build a new win2K Domain/Forest and use the AD migration
>>> tools to do this.  Will this work?  I need to keep my user accounts
>>> intact on
>>> my production domain.
>>>
>>> Then add an exchange server and migrate the mailboxes. Upgrade Exchange
>>> 2000
>>> to 2003. Upgrade the OS then to win2k3.
>>> Thanks
>>> Mike
>>
>>
>
>
>

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