Active Directory Physical Components
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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
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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
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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
