multiple domain names for a single domain?

We are in the process of re-architecting our domain structure and moving
from a Unix based directory to Windows2003 AD. In the process we are also
considering changing our domain name and email/web presence. We were
wondering if it's possible to have a single domain with two names. I know
we can easily have multiple email/web domains hosted on a single server, but
how about having two
names for a single domain?

IE: olddomain.com and newdomain.com are actually a single domain that
users exist in, but a user can login using (E-Mail Removed) or
(E-Mail Removed) and have the same account.

If this is possible, does anyone know of resources I can access to tell me
how? Any ideas on the long-term supportability of this scenario? (<1 year
vs >1year)

Thanks!
Doug

A lesser known feature in AD allows unrelated DNS names to be created within
a same AD forest. In this case, the two AD trees (in the same AD forest)
newdomain.com and olddomain.com can coexist.

This may perhaps be the solution you need.

Do let us know if this helps. Thanks.


"DDENet" wrote:

> We are in the process of re-architecting our domain structure and moving
> from a Unix based directory to Windows2003 AD. In the process we are also
> considering changing our domain name and email/web presence. We were
> wondering if it's possible to have a single domain with two names. I know
> we can easily have multiple email/web domains hosted on a single server, but
> how about having two
> names for a single domain?
>
> IE: olddomain.com and newdomain.com are actually a single domain that
> users exist in, but a user can login using (E-Mail Removed) or
> (E-Mail Removed) and have the same account.
>
> If this is possible, does anyone know of resources I can access to tell me
> how? Any ideas on the long-term supportability of this scenario? (<1 year
> vs >1year)
>
> Thanks!
> Doug
>
>
>
>

In "Active Directory Sites and Services" you can register additional User
Principal Name (UPN) suffixes. This is exactly what you need.

Dusko Savatovic


"DDENet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%23i5$OH$(E-Mail Removed)...
> We are in the process of re-architecting our domain structure and moving
> from a Unix based directory to Windows2003 AD. In the process we are also
> considering changing our domain name and email/web presence. We were
> wondering if it's possible to have a single domain with two names. I know
> we can easily have multiple email/web domains hosted on a single server,
> but how about having two
> names for a single domain?
>
> IE: olddomain.com and newdomain.com are actually a single domain that
> users exist in, but a user can login using (E-Mail Removed) or
> (E-Mail Removed) and have the same account.
>
> If this is possible, does anyone know of resources I can access to tell me
> how? Any ideas on the long-term supportability of this scenario? (<1 year
> vs >1year)
>
> Thanks!
> Doug
>
>
>

> In "Active Directory Sites and Services" you can register additional User
> Principal Name (UPN) suffixes. This is exactly what you need.
>

Sorry, it's "Active Directory Domains and Trusts" console, not "AD Sites and
Services".

Dusko Savatovic

"DDENet" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%23i5$OH$(E-Mail Removed)...
> We are in the process of re-architecting our domain structure and moving
> from a Unix based directory to Windows2003 AD. In the process we are also
> considering changing our domain name and email/web presence.

There is no relationship at all between the Active Directory Name, the Mail
Domain, and the Web Domain. In fact the AD Domain should most definitately
be different. the only things they have in common is that you own all of
them and that "domain" starts with "D". You could use "ruytnsdt.fth" for
you Active Directory Domain Name and *@chicketsoup.org for the Mail Domain
and www.shortpeople.net for the Web Domain and everything would work fine.

> wondering if it's possible to have a single domain with two names. I know

Absolutely not. AD Domains have a single name. You can make it the same as
your Public one except for the ending and this would be both accepable that
considered the "normal" way to do it.

Public = mycompany.com
AD = mycompany.loc (loc = "local")

> users exist in, but a user can login using (E-Mail Removed) or
> (E-Mail Removed) and have the same account.

No. Those are not "logins" in a Windows AD Domain,...those are email
addresses,..the login would just be the "user". A login prompt for a
Windows Domain has three lines in the Prompt:

Username: JoeUser
Password: ******
Domain: MyCompany

The Domain in the login is usually the netbios version of the name (single
word, no "dots"). But you can use the FQDN if you wish.

If you are dealing with a "two line prompt" that has no "Domain" entry, then
you prefix the username with the domain name:

Username: MyCompany\JoeUser
Password: ******


--

Phillip Windell [MCP, MVP, CCNA]
www.wandtv.com

Thanks, that is EXACTLY what I needed!

Doug

"Dusko Savatovic" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> In "Active Directory Sites and Services" you can register additional User
>> Principal Name (UPN) suffixes. This is exactly what you need.
>>
>
> Sorry, it's "Active Directory Domains and Trusts" console, not "AD Sites
> and Services".
>
> Dusko Savatovic
>
>