Administering: Windows Server® 2008 Server Core

Chapter 19. Configuring Directory Services

Active Directory is the data storage container for modern Windows networks of any size. One or more domain controllers provide support for the Active Directory database, which is a hierarchical, object-based data store. Using Active Directory has centralized data storage needs for most companies by providing a single replicated data store for all settings of any type. The data need not appear on a single machine, but you access it as if it does appear in one location. Active Directory contains all settings for every kind of object on the network—everything from users to workstations. By knowing which objects to access, you can learn anything you want about the network and perhaps more than you knew was ...