AD Forest Recommendations VM Only installs

[JeffG1]

We have multiple sites with Unity 4.x VM only installs all in their own Domain / forests.

As we build new systems, we are wondering if it would make sense to create a single Unity Forest for all our VM installs. For various reasons these VM installs must stay separate from our normal corporate AD infrastructure?

My question does it make sense to create a single forest and domain, or a single forest with sub domains, or should we just leave each site with its own forest / domain.

These sites are spread out over the country each linked via an IP wan at various speeds. What are other people doing in a similar situation.

My current thought is to create a single AD Domain / Forest with sub Ous for each site?. Make each Unity box a member server.

[Tommer Catlin]

If they are spread out over the country, and you have multiply Unity Servers at different locations,I would still create single domain, with multiple site links for AD to replicate effciently over the WAN. then also create Exchange with sites. You want to optimize the AD/Exchange enviroment. Don't worry so much about Unity.. it just rides on the back of AD/Exchange anyways... so when you think of it, think of this as an AD/Exchange deployment first, then instlal Unity.

Make each Unity box a DC. Create a site for this DC based on it's subnet. Replication partner, etc.

Your goal is to optimize AD through your WAN links. Creating a FSMO server at the hub and managed DNS server. If all is setup correctly, Unity should run flawless for intrasite voicemails, etc

[gpulos]

a single forest would be best for unity, even if the forest is a standalong AD.

replication, ease of administration, ease of troubleshooting, ease of future maintenance/expansion. all good reasons to keep unity in a single forest if possible.

[Ginger Dillon]

Hi -

Another advantage to having your Unity servers in the same directory (AD forest) is that you can do digital networking between them (if you wanted). Here is a doc that discusses -

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/customer/products/sw/voicesw/ps2237/products_device_support_table09186a0080531ba9.html#wp102015

Ginger

[dconstantino]

I have 5 unity on 1 AD and the clients will be using VMO.

So when I register there IMAP acounts how does in know which message store to drop off the mail.

When I build an account in Unity I see it just in that message store but I see all of the AD accounts for all the sites in the DC.

I am curious how AD knows what message store to put the email in. When you setup VMO do you put in the hostname.domain.com as the message store.

Do you put int the username@domain.com and it just knows.