Mark, If you mean direct, do they have to be able to communicate with it one-on-one.... Hmmmm. I'm not aware of a method to proxy, as RID requests must be made to the RID master, Infrastructure updates won't be a problem, PDC emulator might be an issue.
If you're replicating (I assume that the DC is getting all AD updates as well as the SYSVOL keeping in synch with the rest of the DC's?) it's not easy to separate the functions. IOW, to my knowledge, you're either replicating or you aren't. I don't know of a way to distinguish between AD and file replication at the DC's level. And, if you orphan a DC - it's not really part of the domain anymore. It must communicate with the domain or literally die. Clearly, you can change the schedule (frequency, time of day, etc.) - and it wouldn't surprise me to have someone pop up here (Robbie, Dean, Joe, Todd, Gil, etc.) and say - 'Sure you can do this, you can do this....' Interesting topic, I'm not sure it's going to buy you much, or that it's even really possible. SMTP is always an option.... Rick Kingslan MCSE, MCSA, MCT Microsoft MVP - Active Directory LAN Administration - Windows 2000 West Corporation [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Abbiss, Mark [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, October 20, 2003 4:58 AM To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' Subject: [ActiveDir] FSMO role holding DC's I have nudged this issue in an earlier post but would like to ask again for confirmation from the collective genius contained in this list. Do all DC's in a domain HAVE to have a direct connection to the FSMO role holding machines or is there a way of "proxying" these roles ? What are some of the likely major implications of maintaining a DC without access to FSMO role holders ? The DC in question is replicating with other DC's, so has all objects but just doenst have any connection to the FSMO role holders. Any thoughts ? Many thanks List info : http://www.activedir.org/mail_list.htm List FAQ : http://www.activedir.org/list_faq.htm List archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/activedir%40mail.activedir.org/ List info : http://www.activedir.org/mail_list.htm List FAQ : http://www.activedir.org/list_faq.htm List archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/activedir%40mail.activedir.org/