Active Directory Overview

By Author: Mike Jones
Total Articles: 256

Active Directory provides a method for designing a directory structure that meets the needs of your organization
MCITP benefits. This lesson introduces the concept of a directory service, the use of objects in Active Directory, and the function of each of the Active Directory components.
Interoperability with other directory services Active Directory is based on
standard directory access protocols, including Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) version 3, and the Name Service Provider Interface (NSPI), and can interoperate with other directory services employing these protocols. Because the LDAP directory access protocol is an industry-standard directory service protocol,programs can be developed using LDAP to share Active Directory information
with other directory services that also support online MCITP certification. The NSPI protocol, which is used by Microsoft Exchange Server 4 and 5.x clients, is supported by Active Directory to provide compatibility with the Exchange directory.
Signed and encrypted LDAP traffic By default, Active Directory tools in Windows Server 2003 sign and encrypt all LDAP traffic by default. Signing LDAP traffic guarantees that the packaged data comes from a known source and that it has not been tampered with.
For those readers already familiar with the features of Active Directory for Windows 2000, a detailed listing of the new Active Directory features available in the Windows Server 2003 family is located in Appendix A, "New Active Directory Features in the Windows Server 2003 Family."
A set of basic schema classes and attributes is shipped with Active Directory. Experi?enced developers and network administrators can dynamically extend the schema by defining new classes and attributes for existing classes. For example, if you need to provide information about users that is not currently defined in the schema, you must extend the schema for the User class. However, extending the schema is an advanced operation that could have serious consequences. Because schema cannot be deleted, but only deactivated, and a schema is automatically replicated, you must plan and prepare carefully
Free A+ exam questions before extending the schema.