Two network - One Domain controller

[karthikaravind]

My Network configuration is as follows:
192.168.2.1-192.168.2.255 (Subnetmask - 255.255.255.0 )
192.168.3.1-192.168.3.255 (Subnetmask - 255.255.255.0 )
I have only one Domain controller with two NIC cards.
One NIC card is connected to 192.168.2.0 Network(via one switch) and
other NIC card is connected to 192.168.3.0 network (via another switch).
Will this one server serve as DC for two networks ? (One Domain is enough).

Please see the Network configuration at
http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/8596/networkf.jpg

 

[Andrew McLaren]

On 5/03/2010 23:11, karthikaravind wrote:
> I have only one Domain controller with two NIC cards.
> One NIC card is connected to 192.168.2.0 Network(via one switch) and
> other NIC card is connected to 192.168.3.0 network (via another switch).
> Will this one server serve as DC for two networks ? (One Domain is enough).

Hi Karthik

This question would be better off in a group like
microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory. But not to quibble;
here's an answer ...

What you actually have is one network, with two subnets.

Yes, one DC can serve many subnets. Each subnet becomes a "Site" in the
AD Sites and Servers tool.

However in your current layout, the DC would need to perform 2 functions:
- be a DC to domain members on both subnets; and
- be the Router joining 192.168.2 and 192.168.3 subnets.

It is technically possible to configure a server to be a multihomed DC
also runnign Routing and RAS (RRAS). However, this is an extremely
fiddly and difficult configuration to make work correctly. You will
encounter many strange and uncommon error messages, and spend a lot of
time diagnosing things which don't seem to work as expcted.

Basically it is *technically* possible, but it is not a good idea.
Multihomed DCs are not a good idea. A multihomed DC which is also the
router between two subnets is an even worse idea.

By far the better way to configure this would be:
- take out one NIC from the DC, make it single-homed;
- put the DC onto one subnet or the other;
- join the 2 subnets with a router (ie not an ADSL router but a proper
router; like a Cisco box; or else, a multihomed PC which is running
router software, but not trying to be a DC, DNS, or DHCP server).

This configuration will be quite conventional and should work far more
reliably that the multihomed DC idea.

Hope it helps

Andrew

--
amclar at optusnet dot com dot au