The Active Directory Service and Windows Server 2003

Posted by arlene

Now that you understand the principles behind the Active Directory, you can choose whether to install it. This section examines the features unique to the Windows Server 2003 version of Active Directory and depicts an example of how to install it.

New Active Directory Features in WindowsServer 2003

The examples were based on the Active Directory installed on a Windows 2003 computer. With the release of Windows Server 2003, there are some new features that will make administration of the directory a simpler task. Some of these include the following:

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  • The Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) now copies passwords for user accounts when upgrading from Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 2) and Windows 2000 Servers.
  • You can now rename domains (except for the root domain in a tree) in the Active Directory.
  • Although you can’t delete system classes or attributes, you can now deactivate classes or attributes.
  • The Microsoft Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) makes it easier to manage group policies by giving you a single MMC tool that includes capabilities that were previously contained in several other tools.
  • You can create queries to the database and save them for use later.
  • The MMC interface lets you select multiple objects at the same time to make editing objects an easier task.
  • A user account can exist in one forest, with the computer account created in another forest. The user needs only to log on once to gain access, preserving the single sign-on. This is called Cross. Forest Authentication.
  • Cross-Forest Authentication enables the administrator to select users and groups from a trusted forest and place them into a local group.
  • If you have a domain controller located at a branch office, and the data link to the main office becomes unavailable, cached data at the remote office can be used to authenticate users and access resources until the link is restored.

You can learn more about these new features at www. Microsoft.com, by searching for Windows Server 2003. The preceding list contains only a few of the additions to the Active Directory, and a brief description of what they do. If you operate an enterprise-wide network, these new features can be of great importance when managing multiple domains, trees, sites, and forests.

For a smaller network, in which a single forest is used, these tools may prove useful, but the standard MMC tools should be sufficient.

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