Active Directory Physical Components

• Domain Controller:

  • This is a Windows Server, Will have Active Directory Domain Services Roles
  • This server can be physical/virtual
  • There can be multiple domain controllers. Changes made in once domain controller will be replicated to all other doamain controllers

• Global Catalog Server:

  • This holds the full writable copy of objects in its host domain and partial copy of objects in other domain of the same forest.
  • Applications & users in one domain can query for the objects in another domain (with in the same forest) via the global catalog server

• Active Directory Sites:

  • This defines the physical network topology.
  • Each site can be different building in a campus network, different branch in seperate city or even in other country.
  • Every site will have atleast one domain controller.
  • There should be some kind of network connections between domain controllers of different sites.

Lab Setup

• Lets create one AD Domain Controller with the details shown below
• For installation steps refer video

Globally unique identifiers and security identifiers

• Active directory can store nearlly 2 billion objects and to uniquely identify the objects , every user or group object create will recieve global unique identifier (GUID) and a security identifier (sid)
• GUID value will be saved in objectGUID attribute and SID value will be saved in objectSid attribute

Next Topic

• Distinguished names
• Active Directory Server Roles
• Joining computers to domain