Re: 2003 Server Domain Controllers

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the reason I am doing this is we are building a LAB enviornment for
people to use to test before production. We are going to use VMware
Lab Manager and basically build a Library of our production AD inf. I
may have to update this "Lab Library" every 30-90 days. depending on
enviornment changes.

You gave me a good idea regarding imaging them offline or disable
replication.

We could technically bring a virtual dc up in production; one in each
domain. Once those DC's were fully operational I could temporarily
disable replication or bring them offline and then we could p2v them
or simple copy the vmdk files over to the vm lab manager. I would
still have to perform a metadata cleanup and seize the fsmo roles but
this would eliminate (I believe) the usn issue that we may run into.
It would also make it easier for us to update the AD infrastructure in
lab manager by having these vm DC's in production
.

Relevant Pages

  • Windows 2003 and NT and XP Authentication of computer accounts [LAB ENVIRONMENT]
    ... I created a copy of our production Active Directory Windows 2003 ... Interim Mode to a lab environment. ... + Lab Contains - Wins, DNS, ISA server, XP/NT Workstations., ... computer account in its primary domain is missing or the password on ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: AD Restore not working
    ... You basically have 4 options to get a copy of your production AD into a lab ... I will assume you have a single domain forest. ... perform metadata cleanup for the non-existent production DCs using KB216498 ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory)
  • Re: Creating a test lab
    ... > I am trying to create a test lab that replicates our production ... Normally the first server created in a forest holds all five FSMO roles, ... If you were to recreate it in a test environment as the only DC, ...
    (microsoft.public.win2000.active_directory)
  • Re: Tools to be Used in Simulating Produdction A.D.
    ... BLOG --> http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/jorge/default.aspx ... SIDS, users password etc, cannot be placed in a lab environment). ... production A.D. directory into a lab? ... Export/Import production OUs, Users, Groups, Contacts,etc from Production ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: duplicate AD in lab
    ... Plus, the Lab ... and never connect that VM to the production environment ... Win2k3 server in the lab using the same name as the one System State ... saying restoring from System State won't restore Schema. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)