Synchronizing Active Directory with Exchange Server Directory Service

Testing Connection Agreement Configurations

The Active Directory Connector has distinct roles in test and production environments. Use the ADC in a test environment to:

Evaluate the ADC.
Identify performance characteristics of the ADC.
Validate your placement of connection agreements.
Validate your Active Directory design with directory information from your production Exchange Server directory.

It is recommended that you create a test plan. Consider the following guidelines when planning to test your connection agreement configurations:

Set up a test lab that mirrors your Exchange Server site and Windows NT Server or Windows 2000 Server domain structure.
If you will be performing in-place upgrades of your Windows NT 4.0 Server master account domains, make sure to build the Windows 2000 Server domain controllers in your test lab by taking production Windows NT 4.0 Server Backup Domain Controllers (BDCs) offline, moving them to the test lab, then upgrading them Windows 2000 Server domain controllers to effectively test the ADC.
Leverage the test lab environment to understand how the ADC will populate your production domain controllers with Exchange Server data. Determine when the ADC will match existing Windows 2000 Server objects in this case, as opposed to creating new Windows 2000 Server objects. Adjust the matching rules as necessary to ensure correct population of Active Directory.
For multiple domain and multiple site environments, test and validate the ADC Connection Agreement Plan you create and the use of the ADC bridgehead options to ensure correct population of Active Directory.
If you will be deploying a parallel Windows 2000 Server domain for use with Exchange Server, test the ADC in creating new users in the parallel domain overall capacity planning for Windows 2000 Server.

For more information about creating test plans, see "Building a Windows 2000 Test Lab" in this book.