What Is an RODC?
Applies To: Windows Server 2008
An RODC is an additional domain controller for a domain that hosts read-only partitions of the Active Directory database. An RODC is designed primarily to be deployed in a branch office environment. Branch offices typically have relatively few users, poor physical security, relatively poor network bandwidth to a hub site, and little local IT knowledge.
The following figure illustrates the RODC branch office environment.
Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller Options That Are Not Supported on an RODC