Windows

If by public Wan you mean frame relay or T1 line linking each network then here is a simple way to do it:

2 networks probably 2 differents domains. You need to setup a trust relationship beween the 2 networks (read domains). Both way or one way depending if only the network 1 need access to the database in the network 2. You will do that in User manager for domain. They will not be set as PDC and BDC but as 2 separate domains that trust each other. each domain will need it's own PDC. Thenyou will be able to set permission to users residing in the other domain to ressouces in your domain thus mapping network drive.

HTH

Bruno

Yes, two networks can be joined over a WAN but my question is how you're trying to join the proxy server to the domain. An NT Server cannot be changed at will between a PDC, a BDC and a member server. If it was built as a PDC for a different domain, or if it was built as a member server, it will need to be rebuilt as a BDC. PDCs and BDCs built for the same domain can be promoted and demoted but I'm guessing that is not the case here.

The other option you have is to create a trust across the WAN and continue to operate both servers as PDCs in their own domains.

Once a PDC/BDC or trust is in place, the other other problem you'll have to solve is that of name resolution.

paul

You cannot join the PDC or BDC from different domains to a single domain. What you can do is demote the PDC/BDC from network 2 to a standalone server. Restart the server. Assuming that the interconnection between routers and networks were already established, then your standalone server can join the domain of network 1 as a member server. Your domain users of network 1 can now see the member server. You have to create the users from former network 2 as domain users of network 1. You can now, aswell, make users of network 1 as proxy clients of the member server that got the proxy server. Your mappings will now work for all the shares between the two servers.

You have to work on the specifics of this scenario. I don't have enough space to lay down the details.

Two-way trust or complete trust is also an option. Read on trusts.

Enjoy!

honestly I would setup a new computer as a BDC, a WINS server, and DHCP server or DHCP relay agent, and a segement Browse Master. Give this new BDC and your PDC static IP addresses and put their information in each others LMHosts file. This will form the core of your network and allow IP allocation, host name resolution, authentication, and clean networking if DHCP if configured properly. Join the proxy server to the NT Domain as a member server if it isn't already.

How many hosts do you have on each network?

With the configuration above you should have sufficient browse masters to allow you to use NetBIOS names effectively from anywhere in your enterprise. Additionally you should be able to allow anyone necessary anywhere inthe enterprise public Internet access if necessary through the proxy server.

Keep in mind, your new BDC doesn't necessarily have to be a spectacular machine. A PII-300 with IDE RAID would suffice for a 500 client network.

You said you have routers in both ends and that the 2 networks are part of a WAN, and I understood that hte're part of the same Domain. Now, if you have routers on both sides, why can't you set the static routes on each router and allow both networks to see each other? If the two sites don't have a dedicated line, just use the Web (VPN) or whatever means you have for the routers to communicate with each other. Then, all you have to do is setup the Proxy according to the changes you made.
Buy routing between the 2 routers using static IP addresses, you can create a logon script and set to the remote users that need the mapped drives.
I hope I've made sense to you!

Good luck!