Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) Tutorial

Contents

1 Directory:

2 Active Directory:

3 Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS):

4 Rules and Features in Active Directory Domain Services:

5 Benefits of Active Directory Domain Services:

6 Important Terms, Tools and Concepts in AD DS:

6.1 FQDN (Fully Qualified domain Name):

6.2 Active Directory Users and Computers:

6.3 User:

6.4 OU (Organizational Unit):

6.5 Group Policy Object (GPO):

7 Benefits of using GPO

8 Roaming Profile

9 The Issues with Roaming Profile:

10 Network Drive (Z drive)

11 Advantages Network Drive:

12 Home Directory/ Home Folder:

13 Assigning Home Folder:

ACTIVE DIRECTORY DOMAIN SERVICES (ADDS)

Active directory was introduces on 1990’s and implemented in Windows 2000 Server with its release in 2000. Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 used Active Directory with its expansions during time. Window 2000 Server, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 use Active Directory domain Services as a base for distributed networks (distributed computing network system).

Directory:

The listing of objects in the comprehensive way general data base of information or repository is known as directory.

Active Directory:

Active directory provides a way to store and avail information related to the network objects to other users, administrator and applications. The objects organized inform of organizational units (OUs), domain, sites, trees and forests. Active directory with the standard protocols is accessible by third party directory services because it can easily exchange and use the information effectively.
Active Directory in Windows Server 2008 R2 with the expand functionalities provide centralized administration to its users and application objects. The management of related identities are provided for the network of organization by Active Directory.

Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS):

The Active directory domain Services stores information and use stored data in the computer network. It has hierarchal structure for network objects. Objects include in the network are users, resources, computer accounts, security policies and applications. The user account in the Active directory can stores names, email address and password which are the example of particular information stores in the directory. Active Directory Domain Services make the server domain controller and it is integrated with Domain Name system (DNS).The data is protected from unauthorized use and access of objects by any unauthorized access. The integration of AD DS with operating system and other applications has different capabilities like shared resource management. AD DS provides easier access of data for the users and administrator.

Rules and Features in Active Directory Domain Services:

The following features are included in Active Directory domain Services

• Access control to resources and authenticated logon for the users for the security integration in AD DS
• Central management and organization by administrator with single network logon
• The specific formats and limits for the objects and their related attributes
• The use of global catalogue by the users and administrator for information about the objects
• Index mechanism provide query system for the easy access of network objects and their attributes
• Centralized management of network with the security
• Comprehensive use of network object and properties with protected management

Benefits of Active Directory Domain Services:

Active Directory Domain Services is very secure with the comprehensive solution for the span network in multiple locations.

• Ease of administration with centralized secure management
• Comprehensive management with the increasing number of objects (users, computers and roles)
• Provide single view of the users with proper management
• Single network with different mechanisms of security
• Automation for the administration tasks like managing and adding users and groups or other works related to different objects

Important Terms, Tools and Concepts in AD DS:

FQDN (Fully Qualified domain Name):

The FQDN is specified for the host, internet or specific computer. It is the complete name with two parts host name and domain name and also top level domain. Like project.sbk.com is FQDN where project is host name, “sbk” is second level domain and com is top level domain. FQDN has specific location in the hierarchy of Domain Name System (DNS).

Active Directory Users and Computers:

The active Directory Users and Computers is tool and a console snaps in introduced by Microsoft for the management purposes. You can create user and computer accounts; set their security policies an2d you can also apply group policies.

User:

User is the person who can use any specific computer in the given environment with the specified policies. You can log on the computer by the Active Directory user account. The Active Directory account identifies the user and establish authentication so that the user can use the resources within the domain.

OU (Organizational Unit):

Organizational Unit let you organize the users in one container that can hold all user and computer accounts that have common needs so that can be easily managed and supported by the administrator. The example is an OU Students that is for all the common users. The domain can contain the collection of different OUs with the same policies like security (password policy) that is basically same for every user in the OU. The organizational unit administrator is responsible for user and computer account maintenance in the OU.

Group Policy Object (GPO):

Group policy object is the tool which provides centralized configuration and management for the operating system and let you set rules on user and computer accounts in the Active Directory as the system administrator. It is used in the small businesses and organizations very commonly. Group policy object will store the configured setting of Active Directory. The management and configuration of software, desktop and network environments can be done by GPO. The Group Policy is the feature in Windows Server 2008’s Server Manager you need to install so that you could use and manage multiple accounts. Group Policy management console let you easily use different policies for the group policy objects.

Benefits of using GPO

There are some uses of Group Policy Objects

• You can block as the administrator the devices for specific users
• The improved security implementations for devices and users using firewall and IPsec
• Categorized management of resources makes it possible to easily deploy and manage the resources
• You can manage multiple groups, logs and event in the GPO

Roaming Profile

The roaming profile let you store and access the shared documents and desktop setting on the same network with the customize settings seamlessly. The roaming profile stores your customized data on the server; you can get access of your profile data in the same way as you saved last time even using the other computers on the network so roaming profile makes it possible by just joining the domain regardless of location. Administrator can control and designate the roaming profile to the domain administrator group and other groups and accounts.

The Issues with Roaming Profile:

The roaming profile bandwidth problems can appear inform of time consuming logging in and logging off from the account. The transformation and use of higher bytes of data is not possible with it and it can create problems for the different accounts of the users log in at the same time.

Network Drive (Z drive)

Network drive is the shared space on the hard disk for different users in the network. It is a central location for the users provided on the server also known as remote drive. The data from here is accessible by the authorized users of the domain. Mapping the network drive can be the time saver to access data files and folders from remote computer (Server). The path of drive is specified for each user in the network so the users can easily access their required data.

Advantages Network Drive:

Network drive has the following benefits:

• A user do not need to follow and remember a large path to access the data, you just need to open ‘‘My Computer’’ and the access allocated drive by the administrator
• You do not need to shift and transfer data after each modification, your data is save at your network drive
• In case of any problem in the client computer data is accessible in the centralized domain controller or server

Home Directory/ Home Folder:

Home directory is used for the user so that they can save securely their data and could easily access the data. The users can have their unique and individual home directory to save and use data. The UNC (Universal Naming Convention) path is used and you can access your home drive from any directory. The users can save the images, music, videos and text document in the home drive. In command line activities it is called home directory and in graphical user interface it is known as home folder. The user profile is used as the default home folder for the user accounts. It has following benefits:

• Provide backup of important data on the server central to separate users by the administrator
• Central collection of files makes the management easier for the administrator
• Secure data by providing separating system data and user’s data, and providing recovery to data
• The large files can be store easily
• The user can access the data from any connected computer in the network

Assigning Home Folder:

You can assign home folder to the domain users easily by the following the instructions.

• Home folder path should be specified
• The shared permissions should permit the user to access the home folder
• Assign the home folder to the domain user