Why Can I extend Active Directory on a member server(Unity)?

[jjia]

Hi,

Unity 4.0(4) VM with exchange 2000 and member of server.

According to Unity 4.0(4)installation guide to

"Extending the Active Directory Schema for Cisco Unity (Exchange 2003 and Exchange 2000 Only)", I should process this step on the schema master computer(typically the first DC/GC in the forest). But the problem was that I succesfully run the ADSchemaSetup.exe on Unity server with UnityAdmin account (though a memeber of schema master) instead of on the existing GC server.

Could someone tell me why I can install it successfully?

The reason why I ask this question is that we have a new customer in Canada, whose head office is in South Africa. And the canada office has the exchange 2000 server but they could not access the GC server in Head office.

We will install Unity 4.0(4) Unified messaging system for them. In this case, how can I extend the Active directory schema?

Thanks,

JJ

[carl.newman]

Hello JJ:

Sounds like you are not an Enterprize Admin. Sense the EA is the only group that has the right to extend the schema it is a requirment. The second thing is that you must extend the schema on a system that is like a domain controller. Basicly has to do with the FISMO roles on the MS server backend. I suspect that your do not have access to the "RID" master roles do to rights and global catalog access. You could also have an issue with the schema replications timer. Sense the "Schema Master" is across the big pond the default timer in the site will affect you. Last time I looked at one it was set to replicate the schema every 24 hours and the user data base every 45min or 3 hours.

Good Luck.

Carl

[d1nnsear]

Ideally you'll normally extend the AD schema on the schema master DC in the AD domain. If you have a VM only install then I guess you've got the 1 box with AD on it & Exchange etc. As this is the 1st (& only) DC in your VM domain it'll be the schema master & the GC so you shouldn't have a prob updating the schema on the VM only box.

As for the headoffice issue, I'd be most surprised if the Canada office doesn't also have a DC/GC server in place. Exchange needs to access a DC/GC, preferably not over a WAN!

I'd liaise very closely with the AD admins & follow their normal procedures for extending the schema (they would've done this for Ex). You start getting into transfering roles etc within AD which is fun...

Make sure you at least have system state backups of a couple of their DCs before you do anything.

[jjia]

Thanks

JJ