Working with Active
Directory Sites
Lesson 3
Technology Skill
Objective Domain
Objective #
Introducing Active
Directory Sites
Configure sites
2.3
Configuring Active
Directory Replication
Configure Active
Directory replication
2.4
Skills Matrix
Understanding the Replication
Process

Replication within Active Directory will occur
when one of the following conditions is met:

An object is added or removed from Active
Directory.

The value of an attribute has changed.

The name of an object has changed.
Lesson 3
Viewing Active Directory
Connection Objects

Open the Active Directory Sites and Services
MMC snap-in.

Click the Sites folder, select the desired site, and
then click the Servers folder.

Expand the server name for which you wish to
view connection objects, and right-click NTDS
Settings. Click Properties.
Lesson 3
Viewing Active Directory
Connection Objects (cont.)

Select the Connections tab, and view the
replication partners that have been configured
for this domain controller.

Click Cancel to close the dialog box.
Lesson 3
Renaming the Default-First-SiteName

Open Active Directory Sites and Services, and
expand the Sites folder.

Right-click the Default-First-Site-Name site
object, and click Rename.

Key the name that reflects the site location on
your site plan, and press Enter.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site

In Active Directory Sites and Services, rightclick the Sites folder, and select New Site.

In the New Object-Site dialog box, key the name
for the site based on your plan.

Select the DefaultIPSiteLink from the list of site
names, and click OK to complete the site
creation.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Subnet

In Active Directory Sites and Services, rightclick the Subnets folder.

Select New Subnet from the menu.

In the New Object-Subnet dialog box, enter the
IP address and subnet mask that correspond to
the segment in your design.

Select the site you wish to associate with this
subnet, and click OK.
Lesson 3
Configuring Intersite Replication

Cost

Schedule

Frequency
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site Link Object

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
the Inter-Site Transports folder.

Right-click the desired protocol (either IP or
SMTP), and select New Site Link.

In the New Object-Site Link dialog box, key the
name of the site link. This name should reflect
the locations that will be connected when using
this link.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site Link Object
(cont.)

From the Sites Not In This Site Link list, select
the sites you wish to associate with this link and
click Add. They will appear on the right side of
the dialog box under Sites In This Site Link.
Click OK to complete the link creation.

The site link cost is set to 100 by default;
modify this number, if necessary, according to
your site link plan. Remember that a lower
number indicates a preferred path.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site Link Object
(cont.)

If you wish to change the replication frequency
to something other than the default of 180,
modify the Replicate Every xx Minutes field.

To modify the schedule to allow replication to
take place only during nonpeak business hours,
click Change Schedule.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site Link Object
(cont.)

Select the days and hours you wish to disallow
or allow replication, and adjust the option
button at the right of the schedule chart to show
the appropriate color.

Days and hours highlighted in blue indicate that
replication is allowed.
Lesson 3
Creating a New Site Link Object
(cont.)

When finished, select OK to close the Schedule
dialog box.

Upon completing all desired link configurations,
click OK.
Lesson 3
Designating Preferred Bridgehead
Servers

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
the desired Sites folder, and then expand the
Servers folder containing the server you wish
to add to the bridgehead server list.

Right-click the domain controller you wish to
configure, and select Properties.

From the list of transports on the left side,
choose the appropriate protocol for replication,
and then click Add.
Lesson 3
Disabling Automatic Site Link
Bridging

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
the Inter-Site Transports folder.

Right-click the protocol you wish to configure,
and select Properties.

Remove the checkmark next to the Bridge All
Site Links checkbox.
Lesson 3
Creating a Manual Site Link Bridge

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
the Inter-Site Transports folder.

Right-click the protocol you wish to bridge, and
select New Site Link Bridge.

Select the site links you wish to bridge, and
click Add.

Key a description for the bridge, and click OK
to finish.
Lesson 3
Refreshing the Intrasite
Replication Topology

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
Sites, followed by the site where you wish to
run the KCC.

Expand Servers, and double-click one of the
domain controllers.

In the details pane, right-click NTDS Settings,
click All Tasks, and select Check Replication
Topology.
Lesson 3
Determining Which Server Holds
the ISTG Role

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
the Sites folder, and then expand the
appropriate site.

In the Details pane, right-click NTDS Site
Settings, and then select Properties. The
Properties page displays the server holding the
ISTG role.
Lesson 3
Determining Which Server Holds
the ISTG Role (cont.)

To force the KCC to regenerate the intersite
topology, right-click NTDS Settings.

Click All Tasks, and then select Check
Replication Topology.
Lesson 3
Forcing Manual Replication

In Active Directory Sites and Services, expand
Sites, followed by the site that contains the
connection for which you wish to force
replication.

Locate the server in the Servers container that
provides the connection object.
Lesson 3
Forcing Manual Replication (cont.)

Click NTDS Settings in the console tree.

In the details pane, right-click the connection
for which you want replication to occur, and
select Replicate Now.
Lesson 3
Monitoring Replication

Dcdiag

Repadmin
Lesson 3
You Learned

You learned how to define and manage sites
and site links.

You learned how to determine a site strategy
based on the physical network infrastructure.

You learned how to use Active Directory Sites
and Services to configure replication.
Summary
You Learned (cont.)

You learned how to understand the differences
between intrasite and intersite replication.

You learned how to describe the role of the
Intersite Topology Generator (ISTG) and
Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) in site
replication.
Summary
You Learned (cont.)
 You learned how to optimize replication by
configuring bridgehead servers and site link
bridging.
 You learned how to monitor replication using
dcdiag and repadmin.
Summary