Forming the Deployment Planning Team

Due to a high level of associated dependencies, teamwork is of the utmost importance in making the synchronization between Windows 2000 Server Active Directory and Exchange Server directory service a smooth and productive experience.

Planning your directory synchronization strategy should be a cooperative project involving the key decision makers and technical leads of the following groups:

• IT management
• Exchange Server administration
• Active Directory administration
• Schema Administrators Group
• Network Services

Collectively, this team will know enough about your Exchange Server site topology, Active Directory design, and network topology to avoid potential costly mistakes.

Once you have formed the deployment planning team, you can begin the planning phase for directory synchronization.

Planning considerations for the directory synchronization deployment planning team are as follows:

• Assign specific responsibilities and objectives to each system administrator on the directory synchronization deployment team.
• Determine if system administrators will require training to run the ADC and MMC snap-in. If training is required, determine when it will take place.
• Obtain permission to install.

  Since write access to the schema is limited to members of the Schema Administrators group, you will have to obtain permission from this group to install the ADC. However, the schema administrators can run the ADC Setup solely for the purpose of extending the schema. Managing the ADC does not involve the schema, but if, for some reason, a subsequent version of the ADC involves a schema modification, this would require assistance and involvement from the schema administrators group. For information about installing the ADC, see the section "ADC Implementation Strategy" later in this chapter.

  For more information about the Active Directory schema, see "Designing the Active Directory Structure"in this book, and also see the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server Resource Kit Distributed Systems Guide.

• Determine what business processes might be automated or optimized through the use of this synchronization operation.
• Obtain management consent to implement your directory synchronization plan.

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