[...]... a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure This book teaches you how to gather the network requirements for a business, how to analyze an existing network, and how to design an Active Directory directory service and networking infrastructure The first chapter of this book provides an overview of the technologies that you work with on a Windows Server 2003 network In... administration of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 1-1 1-2 Chapter 1 Introduction to Active Directory and Network Infrastructure Lesson 1: Active Directory Overview Active Directory provides a means of coordinating the resources on a network and presenting them as a centralized source of information This lesson introduces the principal functions and architecture of Active Directory After this... Active Directory fits into Windows Server 2003 Active Directory is both a database of information about network resources and a service run by a domain controller that provides access to that database Lesson 1 Active Directory Overview 1-5 The Logical Active Directory Structure What makes Active Directory so configurable, and so scalable, is that it separates the logical structure of the Windows Server. .. by Active Directory in Windows Server 2003 Of course, because Active Directory is extensible, administrators and applications can modify the object classes available and the attributes that those classes define 1-6 Chapter 1 ■ Introduction to Active Directory and Network Infrastructure The Active Directory Schema The classes and the attributes that they define are collectively referred to as the Active. .. their own applications ■ Active Directory is secure, since it is tightly integrated with Windows Server 2003 security ■ ! Active Directory is centralized, providing a single database of network resources that is easy to search and administer Active Directory abstracts the logical organization of the network and identifica­ tion of network resources from the physical structure of the network Exam Tip It... this lesson, you will be able to ■ Explain the purpose of Active Directory on a network ■ Describe the logical and physical structure of Active Directory ■ Describe the interactions of the different components of Active Directory ■ Explain the importance of the Active Directory Schema Estimated lesson time: 45 minutes What Is Active Directory? A directory is really just an easy way to look things up There... to the manufacturer’s instructions The following items are included in the Windows Server 2003 Evaluation Kit: ■ Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, CD-ROM ■ Windows Server 2003 Resource CD-ROM ■ A unique Product Key (required for installation) ■ Links to additional Web-based documentation After you install Windows Server 2003 evaluation software, you have 14 days to activate the product If you... identified Lesson 1 Active Directory Overview 1-7 Off the Record When all domain controllers in a domain are running Windows Server 2003, the full set of Active Directory features is available to the domain In domains where previous versions of Windows Server coexist, not all features are available The same is true of forests Having all domain controllers in a forest running Windows Server 2003 provides... Because Active Directory separates the logical structure of network resources from the physical structure of the network itself, it is useful to break the discussion of Active Directory along those same lines The logical components of the Active Directory struc­ ture include the following: ■ Objects ■ Domains ■ Trees ■ Forests ■ Organizational Units Objects Resources are stored in the Active Directory. .. using a directory When you organize the files and folders on your computer, you are also using a directory Like these, the Active Directory is a collection of information—in this case, a collection of information about the resources available on a Windows Server 2003 network The Need for Directory Services The traditional method for keeping up with the enormous amount of information about network resources . comments to tkinput@microsoft.com. Active Directory, Microsoft, Microsoft Press, Windows, the Windows logo, Windows Server, and Windows NT are either registered. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Contents at a Glance Introduction to Active Directory and Network Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . 1-1€ Analyzing an Existing Infrastructure . . . . . . . .