Mastering Active Directory - Second Edition

The temp.edb file

This file is used during the AD database maintenance to hold data and, also, to store information about AD data transactions that are in progress.

Every domain controller in the AD infrastructure needs to be aware of the changes made in each domain controller. When this happens, you may think that the database is being synced. But it is not the database; only the changes are being synced. Therefore, each domain controller in the domain will not be the same size.

Most of the database systems have their own automatic data grooming techniques to maintain the efficiency of the system. This also gives administrators a chance to perform custom maintenance tasks and granular maintenance. AD database is a self-maintained system. ...