After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Describe the process of designing an Active Directory infrastructure and a network infrastructure that supports Active Directory.
• Design a forest and domain infrastructure that meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a site infrastructure that meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a Group Policy structure that meets the needs of an organization.
• Design an administrative structure that meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a physical network structure that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) structure that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization.
• Create a design for network connectivity that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a name resolution strategy that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization.
• Design a network access infrastructure that supports Active Directory and meets the needs of an organization.

This course requires that students meet the following prerequisites:

• They have taken Course 2278, Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure and Course 2279, Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure

—OR—

• They have equivalent knowledge and experience

Module 1: Introduction to Designing an Active Directory and Network Infrastructure

This module introduces general design principles and the process of designing a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory infrastructure.

Module 2: Designing a Forest and Domain Infrastructure

This module covers the first major design decisions when creating an Active Directory and network infrastructure. The Active Directory logical structure and the design of forests and domains. Key elements of the forest and domain design are naming and, in the case of a multiple-forest design, trusts. These decisions must take into account any existing structure and provide a migration solution from the existing structure to the new design.

Module 3: Designing a Site Infrastructure

This module explains how to design a site topology to organize the Windows Server 2003 network in your organization and optimize the exchange of data and directory information.

Module 4: Designing the Administrative Structure

This module explains how to design your administrative structure to delegate authority and simplify administrative overhead and design an organizational unit structure in a Windows Server 2003 environment.

Module 5: Designing for Group Policy

This module describes how to gather and analyze business requirements and other data and then use that data to design a Group Policy structure and integrate the structure into an organizational unit design. It describes the role of Group Policy in the Active Directory infrastructure and factors in choosing particular implementations, such as security, software deployment, and administrative requirements. The module also covers why and how to design a change management structure.

Module 6: Designing the Physical Network

This module describes how to gather business requirements and other data and then analyze and use that data to design the physical network. It explains how to design a connectivity infrastructure, with considerations for intrasite and intersite connectivity, router placement, connection types, and virtual private networks (VPNs). It also describes how to design a domain controller structure and how to use the Active Directory Sizer tool.

The module also covers why and how to design a change management structure for networking, including monitoring. Finally, the students will create a physical network according to a scenario.

Module 7: Designing for Network Connectivity

This module describes how to design networking services for connectivity and protocol requirements for organizations. Also, this module describes networking solutions that establish a network foundation, provide access to public networks, and support network-based applications and authentication methods.

Module 8: Designing a Name Resolution Strategy

This module describes the relationship between Active Directory and DNS domain names, Windows Internet Name Service (WINS), and other name-resolution strategies.

Module 9: Designing the Network Access Infrastructure

This module describes how to design a network access infrastructure by gathering relevant data, and then analyzing and using that data to design for network access security, remote access, and wireless access. The module includes strategies for authentication, administration, access monitoring, interoperability, and user education.