Active directory is a centralized architecture in windows server environment is used to organize the component over the network, which enable the distributed secure management of the network resource. It includes user accounts, group account, computers and printers and so on.Active directory is a Hierarchical structure database which stores information about network resources using this in windows server active directory is single point administration of the network resource

Active directory stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to find and  use. Active Directory uses a structured data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical organization of directory information.

History of Active Directory

First introduced in the Windows 2000 after  the preview at  1999 actually active directory is not an first directory services in the industry that was an existence of NDS Novell solidify the idea that network should be in directory  based that begin of active directory

After windows server 2000 Microsoft have include enormous feature in windows server 2003 such as ADAM(Active directory application mode) and ADFS(Active directory federation services) and so on

Present Windows server 2008 the first noticeable thing  is  AD was renamed as AD DS(Active directory domain services)and I include  feature like Restartable Active Directory Domain Services, Read-Only Domain Controller and so on

Active Directory Features

• Scalability: means that active directory is scalable product we can use it need of network such as it works on network of thousand computer or an network of ten thousand computers
• ADFS is the one of feature is to leverage single user sign-on to authenticate the user to multiple related Web applications over the life of a single online session.
• Network control: using group policy you can mange even the server and network desktop configuration and settings very effectively
• Flexible and global searching. Users and administrators can use desktop tools to search Active Directory. By default, searches are directed to the global catalog, which provides forest-wide search capabilities.
• Systematic synchronization of directory updates. Updates are distributed throughout the network through secure and cost-efficient replication between domain controllers.
• Remote administration. You can connect to any domain controller remotely from any Windows-based computer that has administrative tools installed.
• Single, modifiable, and extensible schema. The schema is a set of objects and rules that provide the structure requirements for Active Directory objects. You can modify the schema to implement new types of objects or object properties.
• Integration of object names with Domain Name System (DNS), the Internet-standard computer location system. Active Directory uses DNS to implement an IP-based naming system so that Active Directory services and domain controllers are locatable over standard IP both on intranets and the Internet.
• Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) support. LDAP is the industry standard directory access protocol, making Active Directory widely accessible to management and query applications. Active Directory supports LDAPv3 and LDAPv2 and so on..

Active Directory Structure

Active Directory is hierarchical structure database can be divide in to type logical and some time physical

Structures includes

Domains

Domain trees

Forest

OU(Organizational Units)

Domain Controller

Objects

Sites

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