Unity & AD integration Design questions for VM only

[mbandw]

I have an existing AD and Exchange 2000 enviorment. I do NOT want to use my existing exchange box for vm storage. Is there a way to integrate AD on the new Unity and keep the vm storage local to the new unity?

The alternative is making the new Unity it's own pdc and installing exchange there, but I was looking for a way to not have to hit two AD enviorments for user administration. (high turnover Company, lots of users coming and going)

If this is possible how is it best acheived? Install exchange on the Unity and create a new storage group for exchange, or make part of the same storage group? If the Unity is a member server as part of domain do you still have to extend the schema for my existing AD enviorment for this to work? (if even possible)

Suggestions? or should I just deal with having to administer two AD enviorments? Thanks for your help.

p.s. remember, no UM, VM only

[kechambe]

Unity can be a member of your existing AD and still be VM only with Exchange on-box. There is nothing wrong with that.

You will still need to have two user accounts however since an AD user can't own more than a single mailbox.

Even if the Unity server will only be a member server in the domain the schema must still be extended.

Storage Groups can't span Exchange servers (you can have a total of 4 per Exchange server with Enterprise Edition) so the mailbox store will need to be in a SG on the local Exchange server. This is all setup be default when you install Exchange.

Thanks,

Keith