An Introduction to

Introduction

Large corporations today face the following problems

Finding a certain file. Seeing everything from a single view Replicate data Offers directory services Single network logon Single point of administration and replication

Windows NT server network

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

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

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

Important Concepts

Scope

user

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

Attributes for User Object: Name: Joe Surname: Smith Email: js@user.com

Namespace

Object

Important Concepts

Container

An object which has attributes and is part of active directory

A hierarchy of objects and containers Endpoints on trees are objects Nodes represent containers Shows how objects are connected

Tree

Important Concepts

Domains

Established Trust
Domain A Domain B

A single security boundary of a network A tree comprised of several domains sharing a common schema, configuration and forming a contiguous namespace

Domain trees

Implicit Trust

Domain C

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
Location in a network that contains Active Directory servers
Microsof t.Com Sof tImage.Com

Sites

PBS.Microsof t.Com

Finance.Sof tImage.Com

NTDev .PBS.Microsof t.Com

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.

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.

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

Protocol Support

Supported protocols include:

LDAP Remote procedure call X.500 ADSI LDAP API MAPI

Supported APIs include

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.

Security

Object protection

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

Delegation

Trees and Forests

Se arching root.com, re sults in de e p se arch into child domains.

root.com

sub.root.com

child.sub.root.com

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.

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.

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.

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

Windows NT 4.0 Domain

PDC

BDC

BDC

Mixed Domain

Domain Replica Global Catalog

DC/PDC

BDC BDC

BDC

Pure Domain- Former BDCs are now peers of the original Windows 2000.
Domain Replic a Global Catalog

Pure Domain

DC - GC

DC DC

Domain Replic a DC

Domain Replic a

Domain Replic a