What is an Active Directory (AD)?

[KapilAsdhir]

What is an Active Directory (AD)?

[CWA]

Active Directory is Microsoft's trademarked directory service (similar to the Novell Directory Services (NDS)) for use in Windows environments. Active Directory is designed especially for distributed networking environments.

[KapilAsdhir]

Active Directory is an implementation of LDAP directory services by Microsoft for use in Windows environments. Active Directory allows administrators to assign enterprise-wide policies, deploy programs to many computers, and apply critical updates to an entire organization. An Active Directory stores information and settings relating to an organization in a central, organized, accessible database.

[boomsticks53]

Active Directory allows administrators to assign policies, deploy software, and apply critical updates to an organization. Active Directory stores information and settings in a central database. Active Directory networks can vary from a small installation with a few computers, users and printers to tens of thousands of users, many different domains and large server farms spanning many geographical locations.

[peonytaylor]

Active Directory is a technology created by Microsoft, which provides a variety of network services, including: LDAP directory services ,such as Kerberos-based authentication ,DNS-based naming and other network information, Central location of the network management and decentralization.

[nobita_deptrai]

An active directory (sometimes referred to as an AD) does a variety of functions including the ability to provide information on objects, helps organize these objects for easy retrieval and access, allows access by end users and administrators and allows the administrator to set security up for the directory.

An active directory can be defined as a hierarchical structure and this structure is usually broken up into three main categories, the resources which might include hardware such as printers, services for end users such as web email servers and objects which are the main functions of the domain and network.

[hotsolar]

the AD means an active directory

[seomastermack]

Active Directory stores all information and settings for a deployment in a central database. Active Directory allows administrators to assign policies, deploy and update software. Active Directory networks can vary from a small installation with a few computers, users and printers to tens of thousands of users, many different network domains and large server farms spanning many geographical locations.