Last Updated: October 22, 2009

U-M Windows Test Forest

The U-M Windows test forest has been designed to provide a safe testing and learning environment for Windows Active Directory related activities. The test forest allows new Windows administrators to become familiar with Active Directory in a setting that will not adversely affect users in their department.  The test forest is also used to test new applications, and Active Directory schema changes.

U-M Production and Test Forest Similarities

• Both the prod and test forests support Kerberos pass-through authentication.
• The high-level OU structure of the prod and test forests is similar.
• Domain-level Group Policy settings are very similar in the prod and test forests.
• U-M Directory users are synchronized to the People OU of both the prod and test forests.
• The prod and test forest share WINS servers, located in the prod forest.
• Both the prod and test forest support a U-M Windows Central Accounts web site.
• Both the prod and test forest support Microsoft Exchange.

U-M Production and Test Forest Differences

• The test forest has fewer OU's than the prod forest.
• The lower level OU directory structure of the test forest frequently does not match that of the prod forest.
• Names differ between the prod and test forest, as to do the associated GUID's, SID's, etc.
• The Domain Controllers in the test forest are sufficient, but less capable than their prod forest counterparts.
• Some prod forest applications do not have test forest equilalents.

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