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Jay - 16 Jul 2005 10:00 GMT

Hi

I currently have multiple AD schemas and multiple Exchange Organisatrions

8 AD Domains
3 Exchange Organisations

We wish to standardise the platform and roll out Exchange across the whole
organisations.

As well as this we eventually aim to have a single schema and messaging
organisation

However, as thats a milestone away we wish to continue with the initial
phases.

This is to ensure all companies within the group have a single messaging
platform. Now what I was thinking of doing was to create a single new AD
schema as a Exchange Forest and then create trusts from all the other domains
to this. This would allow for single messaging directory, calendar
functionality and serve the immediater requirements.

Going down the road we aim to then create a NEW source domain and then
collapse all the other domains into OU's. We would then also use 3rd party
tools and migrate the Exchange organisation to the new domain.........

Would the new Exchange Forest solution work?..I am 99% certain this is the
route to take but wanted to know of any real world problems that may arise
fromt his?

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Jim McBee [MVP Exchange] - 16 Jul 2005 23:40 GMT

Jay:
Absolutely, this should work. I have personally worked in "single
domain" Active Directories with up to 200,000 user objects and mailboxes.
Active Directory can scale even higher than that, provided you have
sufficient hardware.

You want to make sure you have got a good grip on all the mail-routing
issues as you start moving user accounts and mailboxes in to your new
forest. Plus, if you use public folders, the 3rd party tool you use should
handle this as well.

If your users in each of the 8 AD domains currently don't share a common
Global Address List (through some replication product), then you probably
don't need to worry about providing that during the migration. That can be
a little tricky without planning, handling "reply to" addressing, and the
right sync product.

Anyway, this is my $0.02 worth. Hope it was useful.

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Jim McBee
Blog: http://mostlyexchange.blogspot.com
Web: http://www.somorita.com

> Hi
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> route to take but wanted to know of any real world problems that may arise
> fromt his?

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Jay - 17 Jul 2005 09:59 GMT

Jim

Thanks for the response

SO you think I shouldnt have problems? Bearing in mind I shall have a
Complete new Exchange Organisation in its own scheme and then multiple AD
Schemas from the other companies....

SO in essence I shall be having multiple shares from these domains to the
Exchange Forest?.

> Jay:
> Absolutely, this should work. I have personally worked in "single
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
> > route to take but wanted to know of any real world problems that may arise
> > fromt his?

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Chris Scharff [MVP] - 18 Jul 2005 05:32 GMT

>Jim
>
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>SO in essence I shall be having multiple shares from these domains to the
>Exchange Forest?.

That's what is typically called an Exchange Resource Forest. Microsoft
has a few documents describing this scenario. Here's a link to a good
general overview:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exchange/guides/PlanE2k3MsgSys/4db5
a8dc-c8c9-4e1a-8c2e-48d0afcfee27.mspx

Signature

Chris Scharff
Messaging Services Architect
MessageOne

There is no sadder sight than a young pessimist.
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