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Slide 1: Microsoft Active Directory An Overview
Slide 2: What is Active Directory?     Microsoft‘s new Directory Service Called: ADS, NTDS Successor to LAN Manager Domains Goals • • • • Open Standards High Scalability Simplified Administration Compatibility to existing Windows NT systems and applications
Slide 3: Open Standards     LDAP • Low-Level API to Active Directory X.500 • Active Directory Structure • Not fully standard-compliant DNS • Resource Location • Extensions, e. G. „Dynamic DNS“ Kerberos • Authentication
Slide 4: Active Directory Structure   Hierarchical Base object Domain Forest Domain Domain Domain Tree OU Domain OU OU Tree Domain Domain Objects
Slide 5: Which objects does Active Directory contain?  „old Friends “    • User • Group • Computer New Elements • Distribution Lists • System Policies Application defined custom objects Described in the Schema
Slide 6: What is the Schema?  Definition of all AD    • Object-Types (Classes) • Attributes • Data-Types (Syntaxes) Can be compared to a Database Schema ONE consistent Schema inside a single Forest Extensible
Slide 7: What is a Domain?     AD Base Element (Building Block) NT 4 Compatible Physically Implemented on Domain Controllers (DC) Border for • • • Replication Traffic System Policies Administration Firma.de
Slide 8: What is an Organizational Unit (OU)?     Implements a Structure inside a Domain Can be nested as needed Can not be assigned any rights Typically used for Administrative Reasons • e.g. System Policies Admin LA New York Sales Admin Sales
Slide 9: What is a Tree?  Hierarchical Domain Structure inside a single Namespace adiscon.com • adiscon.com • la.adiscon.com Tree • ny.adiscon.com Transitive Trusts created automatically Sub-Domain must be added to RootDomain – otherwise there will be no tree! la.adiscon.com ny.adiscon.com  
Slide 10: What is a Forest?   Combination of Trees Disjunct Namespaces    • adiscon.de • adiscon.com Transitive Trusts created automatically There is one single tree-root! Sub-Tree must be added to Root-Tree, otherwise no Forest will be created
Slide 11: The Tree-Root    First Domain installed Single Schema Absolutely vital! Forest Domain Domain Domain Tree OU Domain OU OU Tree Domain Domain Objects
Slide 12: Modeling the physical Structure       Not related to logical Structure Modeled via „Sites“ A site is well connected via fast Network Links One Site can home multiple Domains One Domain can spread across many Sites Domain Database is stored on Domain Controllers
Slide 13: Sample Site Structure  Logical and physical Structure are totally independent of each other! Adiscon.com Site LA sales.adiscon.com Site New York sales.adiscon.com
Slide 14: Which Role can a Server have?     Member Server Domain Controller Global Catalog FSMO • Special Roles carried out by only a limited • • set of Servers e.g. PDC Emulator e.g. Schema Master
Slide 15: What is a Domain-Controller?  Stores a physical Copy of the Active Directory Database • Currently a single Domain per DC   • Logon Services • Kerberos • LAN Manager Authentication Recommendation: always have at least 2 Domain Controllers! supported! ESE95 Database (MS Exchange)
Slide 16: What is a Global Catalog Server?     Answers AD Search Queries Must be present to successfully logon Holds a copy of all Objects of the whole Forest… ...but holds only a subset of the Attributes  • User definable Recommendation: at least one GC per (larger) Site
Slide 17: Multi Master Replication     Updates can be applied to ANY Domain Controller Will be Replicated to each other Domain Controls (inside that Domain) within 15 Minutes Optimized Algorithm reduces Replication Traffic Not time based (triggered on demand, only)!
Slide 18: Intra-Sites Replication    All Domain Databases involved Changes are transmitted compressed via IP (RPC) or SMTP    • SMTP not within a single domain! Time Replication occurs can be configured Volume of Replication Traffic can not be restricted! Have an Eye on GCs!
Slide 19: Mixed vs. Native Mode?    Mixed Mode supports Coexistence with NT4 • Default • NT 4 BDCs continue to work • Enables “Fallback Scenario” during Migration Only Native Mode supports all AD Features • More than 40 MB Domain Database Size • Mostly problem-free „MoveTree“ • Universal Groups, Group nesting Once you have switched to Native Mode, there is no way back to Mixed Mode!
Slide 20: Are there still Trusts available?  Old fashioned NT 4 Trusts can still be used   • Work like always • No additional functionality Most be used to connect different Forests • Be careful – no common Global Catalog! Shortcut-Trusts • Connect frequently used Domains to each other (Performance Optimization)
Slide 21: Shortcut-Trusts   Domain A users frequently access Domain B’s Resources No Change in logical Structure Forest Domain A Domain Domain Tree OU Domain OU OU Tree Domain Domain B Objects
Slide 22: Vital for AD: DNS!    DNS is Active Directory’s Locator Service Without correctly configured DNS no working Active Directory! • Currently TOP 1 Trouble spot Can be hosted on non MS-DNS • Minimum BIND Version 8.1.2 • No special Characters in Computer Names • Not really an option • Recommendation: delegate a separate “AD- Zone” on non-MS DNS and use MS-DNS for that zone – saves lots of Trouble!
Slide 23: Who is using Active Directory?  Windows 2000  • Authentication • System Policies Directory Enabled Applications • Please do not overlook them when planning your AD!
Slide 24: What are Directory-Enabled Applications?  Applications directly using and accessing the Active Directory   • e.g. Exchange 2000 • Many more expected! Typically extend the Schema May dramatically change usage pattern for Active Directory Resources • Replication Traffic • (new Objects, Attributes) AD Queries (GCs!)
Slide 25: Active Directory Security   Improved Authentication Permissions applied via ACLs   • To Objects as whole • To specific Attributes Fine-Tuning of Access Permissions possible Tool-Support to visualize Security Settings currently weak (try Visio!)
Slide 26: What is Kerberos?      „age-old“ Internet-Standard - mature Commonly used under Unix Secure Authentication thanks to Encryption Standard-Authentication Model under Windows 2000 Microsoft Kerberos not fully compatible to other Kerberos Implementations
Slide 27: Delegation of Administration    Admin rights can be delegated to Users or Groups • NOT to OUs! Delegation via Wizards Currently “Admin Nightmare” – very hard to detect who has rights • All objects must be viewed separately and • • manually Currently no good tools – but expected to be available in the future Microsoft itself also plans to provide additional tools
Slide 28: Inheritance in Active Directory   From Top to Bottom Inheritance can only be blocked completely • No IRF like Novell
Slide 29: Groups  Basically, like under NT 4 • Local Groups are assigned Permissions • Global Groups contain Users   From a single Domain Global Groups are members in Local Groups for Permission assignment  New: Universal Groups • Can be used everywhere in every Domain • (Permissions, Members) Implemented via GC  Replication traffic limits usability
Slide 30: Active Directory Problem Spots        DNS Dependency No „Merge-Tree“ No Partitioning (only a single Domain per Domain Controller) Limited Tool-Support Forest Global Schema Schema-Modifications can not be undone Issues will be addressed over time by Microsoft (keep in mind AD is Version 1.0!)
Slide 31: Importance of AD for Microsoft’s Strategy   Most important Product All new Microsoft Products need or at least work better with Active Directory  • Exchange 2000 • SQL Server 2000 • ... Bill Gates: „We have bet Microsoft on Active Directory.“
Slide 32: Questions?   rgerhards@adiscon.com www.windows-expert.net