Can i have 2 different servers sharing the same active directory (on-premises)?

Question

Here's the scenario:

I'm working in a company that has 2 Windows Servers running.

Server A runs with 2012r2 with a working ADDS , Server B runs with 2019 Essentials ( its a small business)has barely any native service running but monitors a lab. environment.

My company wants to replicate the ADDS into server B so the directory can be managed in either server A or B

How can we achieve this?

Note: both servers are in a different physical location , around 2 hours in car distance.

Answer 1

Hi Seez5,

Yes, it is possible to have two different servers sharing the same Active Directory on-premises. This is known as Active Directory replication.

To achieve this, you can install the Active Directory Domain Services role on Server B and configure it as a replica domain controller. This will allow Server B to receive a copy of the Active Directory database from Server A and keep it up to date.

Here are the high-level steps to configure Active Directory replication between Server A and Server B:

1. Install the Active Directory Domain Services role on Server B.
2. Join Server B to the same domain as Server A.
3. Configure Server B as a replica domain controller by running the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard and selecting the option to add a domain controller to an existing domain.
4. Follow the prompts to configure the replication settings, such as the replication interval and replication schedule.
5. Wait for the replication process to complete, which may take some time depending on the size of your Active Directory database.
6. Test the replication by making changes to the Active Directory on Server A and verifying that they are replicated to Server B.

It's important to note that Active Directory replication requires a reliable network connection between the two servers. In your case, since the servers are in different physical locations, you may need to configure a VPN or other secure connection to ensure that replication traffic is encrypted and secure.

Best regards,

Qiuyang