Active Directory
Active Directory is a directory service created by Microsoft for use in a Windows Server environment. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of processes and services that are used to store, organize, and provide access to information stored in a centralized database. Active Directory is the foundation of Microsoft’s identity management solutions, providing authentication, authorization, and policy enforcement for users and computers in an enterprise network.
Active Directory stores information about objects on the network such as users, computers, printers, groups, applications, services, and other resources. It also provides secure access to these objects by allowing administrators to assign permissions and control access to them. Active Directory also provides a single point of administration for managing user accounts and passwords across the entire network.
Active Directory is based on the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) standard which defines how directory services should be accessed over a network. LDAP is an open standard that allows different applications to communicate with each other using a common set of protocols. Active Directory uses LDAP as its primary protocol for communication between clients and servers.
Active Directory also includes several features that make it easier for administrators to manage their networks. These features include:
• Group Policy – Allows administrators to define policies that apply to all users or computers in an organization
• Organizational Units (OUs) – Allows administrators to create logical groupings of objects within the directory
• Sites – Allows administrators to define physical locations within the network
• Trusts – Allows administrators to establish relationships between domains
• Replication – Allows changes made on one domain controller to be replicated across all domain controllers
• Security Groups – Allows administrators to assign permissions based on group membership
• Delegation of Control – Allows administrators to delegate administrative tasks without giving away full control over the entire directory
• Auditing – Provides detailed logs of all changes made within the directory
• Backup & Restore – Provides tools for backing up and restoring data from Active Directory
Active Directory can be used in both small business networks as well as large enterprise networks. It provides a single point of administration for managing user accounts and passwords across multiple domains or forests. It also provides secure access control over resources on the network by allowing administrators to assign permissions based on group membership or individual user accounts. Finally, it provides detailed logging capabilities which allow administrators to track changes made within the directory structure.
