Active Directory Cookbook

11.17. Configuring a Domain Controller to Cover Multiple Sites

Problem

You want to configure a domain controller to cover multiple sites, which will cause clients in those sites to use that domain controller for authentication and directory lookups.

Solution

Using a graphical user interface

1. Run regedit.exe from the command line or Start → Run.

2. In the left pane, expand HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE → SYSTEM → CurrentControlSet → Services → Netlogon → Parameters.

3. If the SiteCoverage value does not exist, right-click on Parameters in the left pane and select New → Multi-String Value. For the name, enter SiteCoverage.

4. In the right pane, double-click on the value and on a separate line, enter each site the server should cover.

5. Click OK.

Using a command-line interface

> reg add HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\Parameters /v[RETURN]
"SiteCoverage" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d <Site1>\0<Site2>

Using VBScript

' This code configures a domain controller to cover multiple sites.
' ------ SCRIPT CONFIGURATION ------
strDC  = "<DomainControllerName>"       ' e.g. dc01
arrSites   = Array("<Site1>","<Site2>") ' Array of sites to cover
' ------ END CONFIGURATION ---------

strNTDSReg = "SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Netlogon\Parameters"
const HKLM = &H80000002
set objReg = GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strDC & "\root\default:StdRegProv")
objReg.SetMultiStringValue HKLM, strNTDSReg, _
                     "SiteCoverage", _
                     arrSites
WScript.Echo "Site coverage set for " & strDC

Discussion

It is perfectly valid to have a site that does not contain ...