MCITP 70-640: Sites and Subnets

Active Directory allows you to model your physical network topology using sites. This video looks at how to create sites in Active Directory. Creating sites allows you to control how data is replicated in your organization.

Demonstration 04:05

Sites Definition
Microsoft defines a site as a group of well-connected networks.

Advantages of sites
1) Sites automatically direct users to the closest resource.
2) Schedules can be configured that allow the administrator to control when replication will occur.

Site design
Multiple networks can be combined together regardless of which IP address ranges they use. If you have two networks separated by a high speed networking device, you may want to combine these networks together. Usually networks that are separated by a Wide Area Network will be put into different sites. You could also place different networks into different sites for security reasons. For example, if you had a secure network holding your intellectual property separated by a firewall, you may decide to put this network in its own site to reduce the amount of traffic travelling between the networks. Less traffic travelling between the networks means fewer rules that have to be created on the firewall between the networks.

Protect objects from accidental deletion
A lot of objects in Active Directory have the option to protect the object from accidental deletion. The tick box for this will be found in the properties for the object on the object tab. If the option is ticked and an attempt to delete the object or move the object is made, an access denied message will be displayed. To perform either of these actions, the tickbox needs to be cleared first.

Demonstration
To create or change the site configuration, open Active Directory Sites and Services from administrative tools under the start menu.

When you first install Active Directory, a site will be created called Default-First-Site-Name. This site can be renamed to another site, deleted when no longer required, or simply not used.

Under the site container, the Domain Controller/s for that site will be listed. When you promote a server to a Domain Controller, the wizard will look at the IP address of the server and suggest a site in which to put the Domain Controller or you can choose your own. For this reason, the Domain Controller should be put into the correct site when it is promoted assuming the site existed. If you need to physically move the Domain Controller or it has been put into the wrong site, you can move the Domain Controller object to another site at any time.

To create a new site, right click sites and select new site. The network address will then need to be entered (either the IPv4 or IPv6 network address).

[itfreetraining]

Thanks very much and thanks for watching.

[itfreetraining]

Thanks for the comment. Glad to hear you like the training videos.

[itfreetraining]

No problem at all, thanks for watching.

[LauraDimples]

All these videos are so well made. Thank you so much for taking the time to make them. You have made these topics so much easier to understand.

[itfreetraining]

At present we do not sell any videos. Later on we may be doing this.

[itfreetraining]

Thanks glad you like the videos.
All you need to do is connect the sites together using a VPN. Once this is done your router will route traffic between the sites. Once this is done, add them to sites and services as stated in the video and it will work fine.

[thomaja]

Did I mention the hero part? You make this unbelievably easy to understand. I'm going to name children after you! Well, they won't be my child, but SOMEBODY'S child. Thanks!

[itfreetraining]

Sites are designed to mirror your network. If your networks are directly connected by a high speed link you can put both the subnets in the same site. If they are not well connected place the subnets in different sites. All computers can communicate with each other regards which site they are in. The sites are used by services like Active Directory to create replication that matches your network.

[itfreetraining]

Glad you like the video. IPv6 traffic works much the same as IPv4 for routing. In order to route traffic, you need one network adapter on each network. For Windows Server to route traffic between the two networks you need to install the RRAS role and configure it.

[zoltron]

I don't know what to say but the flow and the speed of these videos are top notch!!!

[itfreetraining]

At present we do not sell the video. We may sell offline version later on, however the YouTube versions will always be free.

[ramkumargupta]

you create awesome videos, visualization and knowledge very easy to understand. thank you!!!!

[itfreetraining]

We are working on this videos at present. Will release them as soon as we can.

[jingrichie]

can't help to say a big thank you to the video maker. Hope you can make more great training materials like AD migration plans. that's really helpful to me.

[itfreetraining]

A site is defined as two networks that are well connected. In this case the secure network and the commercial network are well connected. Even though there is a firewall between them the communication speed is quite high and thus they can be put in the one site. The idea the video was trying to get across is that multiple subnets could be combined together even if the IP address of these network are very different as long as they are well connected.

[mradios]

Thank you, another good video for Sites and Subnets.

[sahirhangu]

really very nice and simple videos to understand.. thx

[sesedmien]

Thank you for your effort, you are awesome, guys !

[randyrosca]

Thank you! These are very well made and informative.

[zoolanderhansel]

I wish my instructor explained this as well as you do. Thank you!