Joining two same-named domains

My Dept Head wants me to setup a domain with a Win2k3 server in our EMEA
office using the same domain name we have here in the USA. Once we have a
permanent tunneling connection established, he wants me to join their DC
into our Win2k3 domain while keeping their user accounts intact. We already
are using AD here with those same EMEA accounts ready to go.

Something doesn't feel right here. Is it possible to "marry" these two DCs
together while maintaining the accounts?

Naming the domains the same makes no difference to the client computer. The
SAM is different for each domain. Different SAM = different domain. The only
way to add a DC to an existing domain is during dcpromo to bring it up to a
DC.

he wants me to join their DC
> into our Win2k3 domain while keeping their user accounts intact.

Can't do it. You add a DC to a domain during dcpromo. That would mean
running dcpromo on their DC (this would loose all User/Domain info) then run
dcpromo a second time and add it to the new domain.


Your best bet is to create a trust between the two domains. Listening to
your department head will get you two separate domains with the same name
and because they have the same name you can't even create a trust between
the two domains.

Create a trust and the accounts in one domain can be used in the trusting
domain.


hth
DDS

"El Marko" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My Dept Head wants me to setup a domain with a Win2k3 server in our EMEA
> office using the same domain name we have here in the USA. Once we have a
> permanent tunneling connection established, he wants me to join their DC
> into our Win2k3 domain while keeping their user accounts intact. We
> already are using AD here with those same EMEA accounts ready to go.
>
> Something doesn't feel right here. Is it possible to "marry" these two DCs
> together while maintaining the accounts?
>

Hello,

It sounds like an overly complex way to do something simple. Just what is
your boss trying to achieve? And if in the end it is one domain/namespace
why do it so complex and suboptimal? Is very body there up to speed wit
Active Directory, forrests, trees, domains, child domains, DNS ...

Questions: if the USA domain is corp.com why not create eu.corp.com as a
child domain in the same forest or a seperate forrest with trusts between
EU/USA? Or if not for policy/security reasons why not just get a going with
an EU OU, even without a permanent VPN you can easily establish one over
broadband or what ever connection you have just for replication ... options
enough here ... the question is what is the goal? A single domain / single
internal namespace ?

Cheers




"El Marko" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My Dept Head wants me to setup a domain with a Win2k3 server in our EMEA
> office using the same domain name we have here in the USA. Once we have a
> permanent tunneling connection established, he wants me to join their DC
> into our Win2k3 domain while keeping their user accounts intact. We
> already are using AD here with those same EMEA accounts ready to go.
>
> Something doesn't feel right here. Is it possible to "marry" these two DCs
> together while maintaining the accounts?
>