Need some help with a client/server VM setup.

[ghostchamber]

Going with the suggestions of a few users on these forums, I've been trying out VirtualBox for my VM needs. So far I really like it.

Now, I am attempting to familiarize myself with Windows Server 2003. So I've set up a VM for that, and another for XP Professional. I want to get the two communicating each other so I can play with permissions and other such things.

Both VM's are set up, and both seem to be running fine, but I can't get them to communicate. I already used a guide to set up Server 2003 as a domain controller, and I'd like to XP to connect to it, but I can't quite figure out how. Whenever I attempt to do so (going through the System area on the control panel), it says the domain isn't valid.

Sorry if this all seems like a noobie question, but I've never used Server 2003 outside of a classroom (and the classroom experience was less than spectacular).

 

[dbwillis]

When you setup the 2003 server, did you give it a static IP address, with the DNS entry as itself?
Did you setup DHCP on the server as well?, if you did, then you have to DISABLE DHCP on your router? (guessing your using a router on your LAN)

The XP machine is probably getting an IP address from your router, that has no idea where the domain is, which is why you get the 'not valid' message.
You can forget setting up the DHCP service on the router if you want to set your XP machine as a static IP, on the same range as the servers IP, but with the DNS entry on the XP machine, being the servers IP.
When the XP machine has the server as its DNS, the XP machine asks 'wheres domain XYZ' and it asks the server, which replies back, Im domain XYZ, when the XP machine asks your router, it has no idea where the domain XYZ is.