Mastering Active Directory - Second Edition

Understanding Active Directory components

Active Directory components can be divided into two main categories:

• Logical components
• Physical components

When you design your identity infrastructure, you need to consider both components. The logical components of the Active Directory structure can change at any given time according to business requirements. But you won't be able to modify the physical components as easily as the logical components. The placement of these components will define the efficiency, security, reliability, and manageability of your identity infrastructure. So, it's crucial that we get it right at the beginning, before we move on to advanced identity infrastructure planning.