ACTIVE DIRECTORY An Overview.. By Karan Oberoi
What are directory services? A directory service (DS) is a software application- or a set of applications - that stores and organizes information about a computer network's users and network resources. Allows network administrators to manage users' access to the resources Act as an abstraction layer between users and shared resources
Directory Services Common Features: Provide file shares. Authenticate users Provide services, such as Email, Access to the internet, Print services etc. Control access to services and shares.
Active Directory What does it do? Active Directory is Microsoft’s version of an LDAP based network directory service. What does it do? Active Directory allows administrators to define, arrange and manage objects, such as user data, printers and servers, so they are available to users and applications throughout the organization.
Active Directory Microsoft’s directory service which is included in the Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 operating system versions. Is an implementation of LDAP directory services. Called: ADS,NTDS Goals and Benefits Open Standards High Scalability Simplified Administration
Active Directory Structure Hierarchical Base object Domain Domain Tree Forest Domain OU Domain Domain OU OU Tree Domain Domain Objects
What is the Schema? Definition of all AD Object-Types (Classes) Attributes Data-Types (Syntaxes) Can be compared to a Database Schema ONE consistent Schema inside a single Forest Extensible
Objects in Active Directory „old Friends “ User Group Computer New Elements Distribution Lists System Policies Application defined custom objects Described in the Schema