What Is Active Directory?

Active Directory is a Windows product that serves many purposes

. It can manage authentication, user experience, and organize accounts. The computers and users are grouped into domains. A domain controller is a server that is in charge of a domain. Microsoft's Domain Controllers are based on DNS (Domain Name Service), Kerberos (MIT developed protocol), and LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). All of these are pre-existing protocols that are often used by other operating systems. The features of Active Directory are tightly integrated with most Windows operating systems but some of the features may also be used by other operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and BSD. These additional operating systems may require additional software to function in an Active Directory domain.

The main feature of Active Directory is to have a Domain Controllers. When all the computers are joined to a domain. One or several controllers are used to authenticate users or computers throughout the domain. This means that no matter which computer a user is using, the user is still able to authenticate and access network resources. When job role of authentication is removed from the individual computer, it is possible to maintain a similar experience for the user in all areas excepting hardware issues. This feature was actually introduced with Windows NT which did not have Active Directory. It had a predecessor called NT Directory Service.

NT Directory Service also included many security features. In Active Directory, accounts are stored in a hierarchical format. Accounts are placed in Organizational Units (OU) or Containers. The users and computers may also be place in groups. This leads to an organization where similar users, groups, or computers may be lumped together. These groupings may be done by department, location, position, etc. These domains are designed to follow the DNS infrastructure. They often contain a top and second level domain. An example would be "Domain.Local". It is possible to have a child domain that would have its own domain controllers. An example of a child domain would be "Houston.Domain.Local" or "Seattle.Domain.Local." These child domains branch off the parent domain, so this structure is often called a tree. When multiple trees work together, it is called a forest. It is possible in Active Directory to have cross forest trusts where users from one domain may authenticate to a domain in a completely different organization.

Group policy is available as local policies on most Windows operating systems. These same settings for group policy may also applied at a domain or organizational unit level. These features are available in the professional and ultimate versions of Windows. It becomes possible to lock down a computer or user environment, add or remove software, or eliminate functionality. This is a "ounce of prevention" method of preventing possible problems for system administration.

To be a good system administrator in a Windows environment, it is imperative to understand Active Directory and Group Policy. It will often affect daily events in unsuspected ways. It is extremely efficient at controlling several users or computers at once with a few simple clicks. All that is required afterwards is to simply wait the 15 minutes in server OS or 90 minutes in client OS for the Group Policy to update. It allows authentication to and control of network shared resources. It also leads to a much more uniform user experience company-wide.

by: James Wilson.

POST COMMENT

Clear Every Er/pr Coding Snag With These Steps Saiba o que Você Não Pode Esquecer em sua Mala de Viagens Asado Argentino: Mal Uso De La Palabra Asado Онлайн Казино: Быть Или Не Быть? Шкаф-Купе - Главный Помощник В Экономии Драгоценной Полощади Ultra-comfortable Hearpod Hearing Aids Provide A Superb Fit For Hearing Loss Wing Chun Fever How Custom Hearpod Hearing Aids Conform To Your Individual Hearing Loss Dealing with a flooring contractor Theme Based Link Building Calling All Men Deep Linking Submissions High Dunk Sneakers