Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It is included in most Windows Server operating systems as a set of processes and services.
Here are some key points about Active Directory:
- Centralized Management: AD provides a centralized and standardized system for network administration and management of computer networks.
- Domain Services: AD allows the creation and management of domains, which are groups of objects (users, computers, printers, etc.) within a network. These objects are organized in a hierarchical manner.
- Authentication and Authorization: It manages user logins, providing authentication and authorization services. This ensures that users and computers in the network have the appropriate permissions and access to resources.
- Group Policy: AD supports group policy settings, allowing administrators to define policies for groups of users and computers to manage security settings, software deployment, and other administrative tasks.
- LDAP and Kerberos: It uses protocols like LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) for directory access and Kerberos for authentication.
- Replication: AD supports replication of data across multiple domain controllers, ensuring high availability and redundancy.
- Trust Relationships: It can establish trust relationships between different domains, allowing users in one domain to access resources in another.
Active Directory is crucial for managing large networks, providing a scalable and secure framework for handling network resources, users, and permissions.