An Introduction to

1. An Introduction to WINDOWS 2000 ACTIVE DIRECTORY

2. Introduction • Large corporations today face the following problems • Finding a certain file. • Seeing everything from a single view • Replicate data • Windows NT server network • Offers directory services • Single network logon • Single point of administration and replication

3. Traditional Directory • Tools for organizing, managing and locating objects in a computing system • Directory services are like a telephone book • LANs and WANs grow larger and more complex • Active directory unifies and brings order to diverse server hierarchies, or namespaces

4. Directory Service • Users and administrators do not know exact names • The directory can run a query for an object by one of its attributes • A directory service can • Enforce security defined by administrator • Replicate a directory • Partition a directory into multiple stores • A management and an end user tool

5. Active Directory • Included with Windows 2000 server • Works well in any size installation • Single server with few hundred objects • Thousands of server with millions of objects

6. Important Concepts • Scope • Can include every single object, every server and every domain • Namespace • Any bounded area in which a given name can be resolved • Object • A distinct, named set of attributes that represents something concrete, such as a user, a printer or an application.

7. Important Concepts • Container • An object which has attributes and is part of active directory • Tree • A hierarchy of objects and containers • Endpoints on trees are objects • Nodes represent containers • Shows how objects are connected

8. Important Concepts • Domains • A single security boundary of a network • Domain trees • A tree comprised of several domains sharing a common schema, configuration and forming a contiguous namespace

9. Important Concepts • Forest • A set of one or more trees that do not form a contiguous namespace • All trees in a forest share a common schema, configuration and global catalog • A forest does not need a distinct name • Sites • Location in a network that contains Active Directory servers

10. Active Directory Features • DNS Integration • Active Directory is tightly integrated with Domain Name System. • Active Directory uses DNS as the location Service • An Enterprise can connect Active Directory Servers directly to the Internet.

11. Support for LDAP • LDAP is Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. • It was developed as a simpler alternative to X.500 protocol • Active Directory supports both LDAP version 2 and version 3.

12. Object Naming • Active Directory Schema defines two useful properties • Object Globally Unique Identifier, a 128 bit number which is never changed if object is moved or renamed. • User principal Name which is shorter than DN and easy to remember

13. Protocol Support • Supported protocols include: • LDAP • Remote procedure call • X.500 • Supported API’s include • ADSI • LDAP API • MAPI

14. Global Catalog • GC enables users and applications to find objects in an Active Directory Domain tree if user knows one or more attributes of target object. • GC holds a replica of every object in the Active Directory, but only holds a small number of their attributes.

15. Security • Object protection • All objects are protected by Access Control Lists. • An ACL is store as a binary value called a Security Descriptor. • Delegation • It allows a higher administrative authority to grant rights for containers and subtrees to individuals and groups.

16. Trees and Forests • Windows 2000 domain tree is a hierarchy of domains, each consisting of a partition of Active Directory. • Transitive Bidirectional Trust relationship is automatically established between joined domain and its parent. • Domains are joined to Domain tree during installation process.

17. Extending the Schema • New attributes can be added to the Schema at any time , using name, OID, definition of data, range limits. • New Objects can be added at any time using name, oid, list of classes that can be parents of object, class object is derived from, and list of classes that apply to the object.

18. Assuring Backward Compatibility • Easy Migration from Windows NT 3.5 and 4.0 • Active Directory is designed to operate in mixed Environment. • The migration process from Down level servers to active directory take place one domain controller at a time.

19. Win 4.x domain with single primary domain controller and two Backup Domain controllers.

21. Pure Domain- Former BDC’s are now peers of the original Windows 2000.