Active Directory Domain Services Overview

Installing Active Directory Domain Services

• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) provides centralized authentication and authorization to network resources
• AD DS is used in business environments to:
  • Simplify user management
  • Control access to data
  • Enforce company security policies
• Use Server Manager to install AD DS role

Active Directory is a Directory Service

• A network directory service stores information about a computer network and offers features for retrieving and managing that information
• You can use directory services to find resources, for example, a printer

Active Directory Features

• Hierarchical organization
• Centralized but distributed database
• Scalability
• Security
• Flexibility
• Policy-based administration

Active Directory Structure

• Physical Structure: Consists of sites and servers which are configured as domain controllers
• Logical Structure: The directory service’s look and feel after the organization in which it runs
• The schema attributes define what type of information is stored in each object
• The information stored in each attribute is called the attribute value

Active Directory Objects

• There are two types of objects in Active Directory:
  • Container objects - contain other objects
  • Leaf objects - do not contain other objects
• Leaf objects include:
  • Security accounts
  • Network resources
  • Group Policy Objects (GPO)

Active Directory Container Objects

• Container objects help organize and manage users and resources on the network
• Container objects can act as administrative and security boundaries
• Three container objects are found in AD:
  • Organizational Units (OUs)
  • Folder Objects
  • Domain Objects

Organizational Units

• An OU is a primary container object for organizing and managing resources in a domain
• OUs can organize multiple objects into logical administrative groups that can be configured with specific policies relevant to that group
• The authority of an OU can be delegated
• Nesting OUs can build a hierarchical Active Directory structure that mimics the corporate structure for easier object management

Folder Objects

• There are five folder objects in Active Directory:
  • Builtin
  • Computers
  • Foreign Security Principals
  • Managed Service Accounts
  • Users

Domain Objects

• The core logical structure in AD
• Domain objects include:
  • OUs
  • Folder container objects
  • Leaf objects
• Larger companies may use multiple domains to:
  • Separate administration
  • Define security boundaries
  • Define policy boundaries

Leaf Objects

• Leaft objects do not contain other objects
• Leaf objects represent one of the following:
  • Security account
  • Network resource
  • Group Policy Object (GPO)
• Security Account Objects include:
  • Users
  • Groups
  • Computers
• Network resource objects include:
  • Servers
  • Domain controllers
  • File shares
  • Printers

Other Leaf Objects

• Contact: A person associated with the company but not a network user
• Printer: Represents a shared printer in the domain
• Shared folder: Represents a shared folder on a computer in the network

User Accounts

• A user account object contains information such as:
  • Group memberships
  • Account restrictions
  • Profile path
  • Dial-in permissions
• Authentication confirms a user's identity and assigns permissions and rights
• There are two types of user accounts:
  • Local user account: authorized to access resources only on that computer
  • Domain user account: provides a single logon for users to access all resources in the domain
• Two built-in user accounts are created by default:
  • Administrator
  • Guest

Groups

• A group object represents a collection of users withcommon permissions or rights
• Permissions define which resources users can access and what level of access they have
• Rights specify what types of actions a user can perform on a computer or network
• Groups are used to assign members permissions and rights which is more efficient than assigning permissions and rights to each user separately

Computer Accounts

• A computer account object represents a computer that’s a domain controller or domain member
• Used to:
  • Identify
  • Authenticate
  • Manage computers in the domain

Choosing a Domain Structure

• Most small and medium businesses recommend a single domain for the following reasons:
  • Simplicity
  • Lower Administrative Costs
  • Easier Management
  • Easier Access to Resources
• A single domain structure is easier and less expensive than a multi-domain structure

This quiz covers the essential aspects of Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), including installation, features, and structure. You will learn about user management, resource access control, and the hierarchical organization of AD DS. Test your knowledge on how AD DS can simplify business environments and enforce security policies.