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3.4 Active Directory
In a network environment, a directory service is a network service
that identifies all resources on a network and makes them
accessible to network users and applications. Active Directory is
an integral part of a Windows Server 2003 network and the
directory service in a Windows Server 2003 network. It stores
information about network resources and makes the resources
accessible to users and applications by uniquely identifying
resources on a network. It also provides you with mechanisms to
name, describe, locate, access, manage, and secure network
resources. It also allows for the central management of the
Windows Server 2003 network, and for the delegation of
administrative control over Active Directory objects, which are
resources such as user data, printers, servers, databases, groups,
computers, and security policies that are stored in the directory. This allows administrators to assign specific
administrative permissions for objects to other users and administrators. The Active Directory directory
service provides the structure and functions for organizing, managing, and controlling network resources.
Objects
User information, printers, servers,
databases, groups, services, computers, and
security policies, are all known as objects.
The directory holds information that
describes these objects. This information is
referred to as attributes, and includes the
objects’ location.
Attribute
Every piece of information that describes
any aspect of an object is called an
attribute.
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