Active Directory Cookbook

11.10. Modifying the Cost for a Site Link

Problem

You want to modify the cost for a site link.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Open the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in.

2. In the left pane, expand Sites → Inter-Site Transports.

3. Click either the IP or SMTP folder depending where the site link is stored.

4. In the right pane, double-click on the link you want to modify.

5. Under the General tab, you can change the cost for the site link.

6. Click OK.

Using a command-line interface

Create an LDIF file called modify_site_link_cost.ldf with the following contents. Replace <LinkName> with the name of the site you want to modify.

dn: cn=DEFAULTIPSITELINK,cn=IP,cn=inter-site 
transports,cn=sites,cn=configuration,<ForestRootDN>
changetype: modify
replace: cost
cost: <LinkCost>
-

Then run the following command:

> ldifde -v -i -f modify_site_link_cost.ldf

Using VBScript

' This code modifies the cost attribute of a site link
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strLink = "<SiteLink>"   ' e.g. DEFAULTIPSITELINK
intCost = <LinkCost>     ' e.g. 200
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

set objRootDSE = GetObject("LDAP://RootDSE")
set objLink = GetObject("LDAP://cn=" & strLink & _
                        ",cn=IP,cn=Inter-site Transports,cn=sites," & _
                        objRootDSE.Get("configurationNamingContext") )
objLink.Put "cost", intCost
objLink.SetInfo

WScript.Echo "Successfully modified link: " & strLink

Discussion

The cost attribute is one of the most important attributes of siteLink objects. cost is used by the KCC to determine what connection ...