What is Active Directory: An Overview

In this blog, We will discuss what is Active Directory it’s benefits and Features.

What is Active Directory or AD DS?

Active Directory is a centralized database of Users and Groups, Computers, Resources, and Services. In other words, Active Directory is a centralized collection of objects like Users, Groups. Computers and Resources.

Active Directory is also known as Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Server 2008 and Later Version. AD DS provides Centralized Services on Microsoft Networks.

What is Active Directory Benefits

The Active Directory benefits are followings:-

Hierarchical Organisational Structure

Active Directory divided into Hierarchical structures such as Forest, Tree Domain and OU, etc. In a Hierarchical structure, you can easily access your find your resources easily.

Forest is the largest container of objects and that contains Tree, Domain, and OU. In a hierarchical structure, you can provide multiple rights and permission to any object.

Multi-Master Authentications and Multimaster Replication

Active Directory or Active Directory Domain Services provide Multi-master authentications- means you can access your server or resources from multipoint of Administrations.

Multimaster Replication means you can access and modify your AD DS from multiple points of Administrations. If you have changed or updated on your first server it will be automatically replicated on another server in the network.

Multi-Master Authentications and Multimaster Replication are too useful for any user because a single node of failure users can log in and access his computer or resources without failure.

A single Point of access to Network Resources

Active Directory provides a single point of access to network resources you do not need to find out like where is DNS Server, DHCP Server, DNS Server. You just log in on the AD DS server and get information about all the servers and resources.

Ability to create Trust Relationship with External Networks

From Active Directory, you can create a trust relationship with external Networks like Linux, Unix, and previous version of Active Directory.

There are six types of Trust

• Parent-Child Trust– Transitive Trust and Two way.
• Shortcut Trust– Non-Transitive Trust and one way.
• Tree Root Trust– Transitive Trust and Two way.
• External Trust– Non-Transitive Trust and one way.
• Cross Forest Trust- Transitive Trust and Two way.
• Realm Trust– Non-Transitive Trust and one way.

What is Active Directory Components

Active directory components are collections of Objects like Forest, Tree, OU, and network resources. Active Directory objects divided into two types-

Container Objects

Container Objects can contain other objects like Forest, Tree, Domain, and OU.

Leaf Objects

Leaf Objects can not contain other objects like User, Computer, Printer,etc.

Now we will discuss about one by one container Objects and Leaf Objects.

Active Directory Domain

Active Directory domain or Windows Server Domain is container objects that contain a logical group of computers, Users, Printers, etc. The domain share center directory of the database to communicate Microsoft Windows Operating system or another Operating Systems.

Active Directory Domain Represented by Triangle Format.

Active Directory Tree

Active Directory Tree is a logical group of network resources that contain one or more Domains. Active Directory follows the Parent-child relationship to communications between two Domains.

Active Directory Domain Tree used the same namespace to communicate to another Domain.

Active Directory Forest

Forest is the largest container object of Active Directory. It Contains two or more trees. Forest is the main fundamental security boundary within Active Directory.

A user can access resources across of entire Active Directory Forest from Single Login Password Combination.

Active Directory OU

An OU is the smallest container Object that represents a logical grouping of resources that have similar security or Administrative guidelines.

The main benefits of OU are Delegation of control and applying separately security policy on Different OUs.

If any OU you want to apply Group policy separately from Delegation of control you can apply separately policy to each OU.

What is Active Directory Schema

The Schema is the main component of the Active Directory that defines objects and attributed. Schema is a collection of objects and defined the attributes of Objects like OU, Printers, Users, Computers, etc.

In other words, Schema is collections of objects classes and objects attribute In the Active Directory Schema works like Master documents because all the objects saved in Active Directory as Unit as storage and Schema defines the attributes of objects.

For example, If you want to create any User accounts in Active Directory then Schema defines the attributes of User like First Name, Last Name, E-mail, Phone, etc.

Schema divided into two parts such as required and optional attributes. Each time that Directory handles data, The Directory query the Schema for appropriate objects definitions of Schema, the Directory creates the objects and stores the data.

Top 5 Active Directory Questions and Answer

1. What is Active Directory?

Ans. Active Directory is a centralized database of Users and Groups, Computers, Resources, and Services. In other words, Active Directory is a centralized collection of objects like Users, Groups. Computers and Resources.

2. Explain the term Active Directory Schema

Ans. The Schema is the main component of the Active Directory that defines objects and attributed. Schema is a collection of objects and defined the attributes of Objects like OU, Printers, Users, Computers, etc.

In other words, Schema is collections of objects classes and objects attribute In the Active Directory Schema works like Master documents because all the objects saved in Active Directory as Unit as storage and Schema defines the attributes of objects.

3. What is SYSVOL?

Ans. SYSVOL is Default folder of any Domain that keeps all the informations like Users, Computer and Network Resources.

4. Active Directory OU?

An OU is the smallest container Object that represents a logical grouping of resources that have similar security or Administrative guidelines.

The main benefits of OU are Delegation of control and applying separately security policy on Different OUs.

5. Active Directory Forest?

Ans. Forest is the largest container object of Active Directory. It Contains two or more trees. Forest is the main fundamental security boundary within Active Directory.

Thanks For reading this blog.

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