Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Security Handbook

Keeping Track of Information About the Network

In the earlier days of PCs and PC networking, important data, such as user accounts and passwords or application configuration data, was stored in files on individual computers. The Windows for Workgroups security model involved protecting resources, such as file or printer shares, by keeping security information on the computer that offered the service to the network. The result was that there was no coordination between computers. If a user needed to access file shares on more than one server on the network, the user needed a password on each server to gain access. Managing passwords in this kind of situation could be a tedious chore in a large network.

One of the most important features that Windows ...