Microsoft KB Archive/242116

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

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SUMMARY
This article describes how to determine the number of users or computer accounts a Windows NT 4.0-based domain can support.

MORE INFORMATION
NOTE: The following considerations can also be found in the Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Training Manual.

Considerations When Forecasting in a Domain Server Environment:

When forecasting in a domain server environment, the following is a list of common activities that will affect system resources without user intervention:


 * Domain account synchronization
 * WINS database replication
 * IP address leases and renewals by means of DHCP
 * Browser updates
 * Systems Management Server verification and updates on logon servers

The first two items can have a significant impact on computer performance. Two of the most common requests about domain server environments are, how many users can simultaneously log on and how many domain controllers are required given a specific number of users. Simultaneous logons are hardware independent. One domain controller is suggested for every 2,000 users to perform logon validation.

The recommendation for the number of users in a domain is dependent on the following:

The maximum number of objects in the SAM is 40,000. The makeup of users, groups, and computer accounts does not matter, although:

 Each user takes 1 KB of disk space. Each local or global group takes 512 bytes and 50 bytes per member. Each computer account takes .5 KB of disk space.

The maximum size of the directory database is 40 MB. The SAM is the largest of the three items that make up the directory database. The SAM is also a part of the registry, and the total registry is limited to 108 MB.

The processor type is relatively unimportant in relation to the number of users supported on a domain controller. Processor type is more important when considering client authentication, and when domain controllers are used for more than one purpose. For large domain operations, do not use the domain controller for anything other than normal domain controller activities, such as validating user logon requests and maintaining the user accounts database. Additional query words: load pdc bdc wan

Keywords         : Version          : winnt:4.0 Platform         : winnt Issue type       : kbinfo
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