Q: What is Active Directory?

A: Active Directory is Microsoft´s X500 Directory Service shipped with the Windows 2000 Server Software.

Q: What is the purpose of Active Directory?

A: The purpose of Active Directory is network management. It stores many “interesting” objects, like user and computer accounts in a database. Users and administrators are then able to find these “interesting” objects by just knowing an easy to remember name. So one could say, that the main purpose of Active Directory is Name Resolution.

Q: What technology is used for Name Resolution in AD?

A: Dynamic DNS is the Name Resolution System in Active Directory. Dynamic DNS enables clients to “tell” the DNS Server that they are there and which IP they got. This is important because in most huge networks IP Adresses are assigned via DHCP and so client IPs change frequently.

Q: What is a Domain Controller (DC)?

A: A DC is a Windows 2000 Server which stores a full read/write copy of the Directory.

A DC

	handles user logons
	serves as an Active Directory Integrated DNS Server
	acts as Global Catalog (GC)
	is responsible for replicaton
	can hold Domain unique FSMOs (RID Master, PDC Emulator, Infrastructure Master)
	can hold Forest unique FSMOs Roles (Domain Naming Master, Schema Master)
	acts as Inter Site Topology Generator

Q: How do you install Active Directory?

A: First the Windows 2000 Server Operating System must be installed on a Computer first. It is then called a Member Server Then, by typing dcpromo at a command prompt, the Active Directory Installation Wizard is started. After the installation the Windows 2000 Member Server changed into a Domain Controller (DC). It now has a complete read/write copy of the directory. This is where all the work starts.

	Active_Directory_Presentation.pps	378 K
	Active_Directory_Handout.doc	124 K