Connecting 2 server 2003 togeather over internet.?

Question

We just opened another office and need to connect both office server domains and shared drives. I would like to add users to the main server and they migrate to the other one just like if they were on the same network. Both servers have cable internet, staic IPs, two NICs, one for internet and other for internal network. Both have server 2003 standard.

Answer 1

You're definitely going to need to setup a VPN.  You can do it with Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) built in to Windows Server 2003 and create a site-to-site VPN tunnel, but my preference is to buy hardware to handle this.  If you have a hardware-based firewall on each end, it's possible that they already support some sort of site-to-site VPN.  I've set this exact scenario up with both Cisco and Watchguard firewalls.  Once you have connectivity via VPN, you need to figure out how to connect the two office from a domain level.  If they're already on separate domains, you can create a trust relationship between the domains.  Otherwise, you can join the remote server to the domain in the main office (make sure it only points to a Active Directory DNS server at the main office first), then DCPROMO it into a domain controller.  Once it replicates the domain information, you should mostly be good to go.  

Answer 2

I believe you are looking to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). See source for more info.

Answer 3

You need to study a Microsoft MCSE book on networking, this is not something you setup on the fly. You need to plan this out because you will not be able to change your design in the future.

You may also need to contact a Microsoft gold partner.

I have seen too many System Administrators loose their jobs over a bad design.

Answer 4

you will need to establish a VPN from one office to the other, then get the secondary Domain controller to log on the the primary through that. Since all normal internet connections are very slow uploading, think very carefully about file locations. Anything which requires heavy use of data remotely would be better run on a web based database on one of them.