Reviewing the AD DS Design

Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

Begin your forest root domain deployment by reviewing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) design information.

Review the AD DS logical structure design

Review the AD DS logical structure design that your design team completed, including the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure that is planned for supporting AD DS. If your organization has an existing DNS infrastructure, review current network diagrams and DNS domain hierarchy diagrams. Also, review the existing DNS zone configuration, replication, and resource records that are used for delegation and forwarding. Document the information that you will need to deploy the Windows Server 2008 forest root domain.

For more information, see Designing the Logical Structure for Windows Server 2008 AD DS.

Review site topology design

Review your site topology design, including site, subnet, and site link design. The site topology design team can provide worksheets that document the site topology information that you will need to configure the site topology for the forest.

For more information, see Designing the Site Topology for Windows Server 2008 AD DS.

Review hardware requirements

Ensure that each computer that you plan to use as a domain controller meets the hardware requirements for running Windows Server 2008.