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Module 8: Designing an Active Directory Site Topology (Best Practices for Efficient Replication)
Designing an Active Directory Site Topology involves structuring sites, subnets, and site links to optimize domain controller replication, authentication, and network traffic based on a company’s physical and network layout. This enhances performance and ensures efficient Active Directory operations across multiple locations.
Using Sites in Active Directory to Optimize Replication and Authentication
Sites in Active Directory represent physical network locations that help control replication traffic and direct client logon requests to the nearest domain controller. Proper site configuration improves efficiency, reduces latency, and enhances overall network performance in multi-location environments.
- Sites Control:
- Workstation logon traffic
- Replication traffic
- Dfs topology
- FRS
- Other Site-Aware Applications
- Factors Affecting Replication
- Replication latency
- Replication efficiency
- Replication cost
Assessing the Need for Active Directory Sites in Multi-Location Networks
Assessing the need for Active Directory Sites involves analyzing physical network structure, bandwidth availability, and logon traffic patterns. Sites are crucial when your organization spans multiple geographic locations, helping reduce replication traffic and improving authentication speed by directing users to the nearest domain controller.
- Planning Domain Controller Placement
- At Least One Domain Controller Per Site for Best Performance
- For Sites with Few Users, Use a Slow Link
- Total – Used = Net Available
- Evaluating Connectivity and Available Bandwidth
- Connectivity
- Fast, Reliable, Inexpensive
- If Use is Low Between Locations, Slower Connectivity May Be Sufficient
- Available Bandwidth
- Amount of Connectivity Use
- If Use is High Between Locations, Consider Separate Sites
- Determining Replication Traffic
- Compression Occurs Once Traffic Exceeds 50KB
- Use Active Directory Sizer to Determine Replication Traffic
- Size of Organization Is Poor Indicator of Traffic
- Increasing Latency Can Also Increase Efficient Use of Network
Using Site Links in a Network
Site Links in Active Directory define replication paths between sites. They help control the flow of directory updates across the network by determining when and how replication occurs, optimizing traffic across WAN links and ensuring timely data consistency.
- Planning Site Link Schedules and Costs
- Assessing the Need for Site Link Bridges
Planning the Inter-Site Replication Topology in Active Directory
Inter-site replication topology in Active Directory involves designing efficient replication routes between different sites to ensure timely and reliable data synchronization across distributed networks, while minimizing bandwidth usage.
- Choosing Inter-Site Replication Transports
- Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) over TCP/IP
- Synchronous Transfer
- Requires Reliable Connections
- Generates Less Traffic
- Can be Used with DCs in Same Domain
- Simple Message Transport Protocol
- Asynchronous Transfer
- Used with Unreliable Connections
- Generates More Traffic
- Cannot be Used with DCs in Same Domain
- Delegating Bridgehead Servers
- Examining the Inter-Site Topology Generator
- Determining the Least-Cost Spanning Tree
Type of Network Link
Backbone Link
T1 to backbone
56KB Link
Branch Office
International Link
Proposed Assigned Cost
1
200
500
1000
5000
Planning for Server Placement in Active Directory Sites
Server placement in Active Directory sites involves strategically positioning domain controllers and other critical servers within sites to optimize authentication, replication, and network performance for local and remote users.
- Placing Global Catalog Servers
- Planning Placement of Operations Masters
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