How to setup a Active Directory environment test?

Question

The project I´m working on needs to auth its users against AD, and as a fallback check against its own user base. Now I need to test it outside the production environment.

What is the best method to setup a Active Directory test environment? Currently I´m downloading a Windows 2003 Virtual PC image, and planning a VMWare virtual LAN.

Is there any problem in that approach?

Answer 1

Is this environment suppose to simulate as many ActiveDirectory installations as possible, or is it to just test that authentication works against a DC?

At a minimum, you will want to setup two Domain Controllers, a Primary and a Secondary. You will want to also setup accounts with a variety of account states (password expired, account expired, account lockout, etc).

Some other issues to think about:

Is your domain running as a Win2000 functional Domain? or a Windows 2003 functional Domain? If you have multiple domains, will you support Universal Group membership? If you have multiple forrests, will you support Cross-Forest Trust relationships?