Establishing a Deployment Team

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

The Active Directory deployment team is responsible for testing and implementing the Active Directory logical structure design. This involves the following tasks:

• Establishing a test environment that sufficiently emulates the network environment.

• Testing the design by implementing the proposed forest and domain structure in a lab environment to verify that it meets the goals of each role owner.

• Developing and testing any migration scenarios proposed by the design in a lab environment.

• Making sure that each owner signs off on the testing process to ensure that the correct design features are being tested.

• Testing the deployment operation in a pilot environment.

When the design and testing tasks are complete, the deployment team:

• Creates the forests and domains according to the Active Directory logical structure design.

• Creates the sites and site link objects as needed based on the site topology design.

• Ensures that the DNS infrastructure is configured to support Active Directory and that any new namespaces are integrated into the existing namespace of the organization.

The Active Directory deployment team includes the following members:

• Forest owner

• Active Directory DNS owner

• Site topology owner

• OU owners

The deployment team works with the service and data administrators during the deployment phase to ensure that members of the operations team are familiar with the new design. This helps to ensure a smooth transition of ownership when the deployment operation is completed. At the completion of the deployment process, the responsibility for maintaining the new Active Directory environment passes to the operations team.