If you have remote networks where it just isn't practical or cost-effective to install a global catalog server, you can configure that office's Domain Controllers to cache users' Universal Group Membership information.

Enabling these servers to cache the Universal Group information significantly improves users' logon performance.

To begin, from the Start menu, choose Administrative Tools - Active Directory Sites And Services.

In the console tree, select the remote site for which you want to enable Universal Group Membership caching.

Next, in the details pane, right-click on NTDS Site Settings and choose Properties.

Check Enable Universal Group Membership Caching, and from the Refresh Cache From dropdown list, select the site from which you want to refresh the Domain Controllers' cache.

Select the option if you want the domain controllers to refresh their caches from the nearest global catalog server.

Click OK to save your changes.