Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft's directory service that stores information about network resources and enables administrators to manage them. It provides authentication and authorization services in Windows domains.
Main components:
- Domain: A logical group of network objects (users, computers, groups)
- Domain Controller (DC): A server that authenticates users and manages domain objects
- Organizational Units (OUs): Containers used to organize objects within a domain
- Forest: A collection of one or more domains that share a common schema
- Tree: A collection of domains in a contiguous namespace
- Global Catalog: A partial replica of all objects in the forest
- Schema: Defines the structure and attributes of objects in AD
