Chapter 1. Concepts of Windows Server 2003 Active Directory

Active Directory version 2.0? For those of you who have worked only with Windows NT 4.0 servers and domains, Active Directory is an entirely new means of managing domains and enterprises. If you have some experience managing Novell NetWare servers, you will be familiar with many of the concepts of Active Directory. And for those of you who have worked with Active Directory in Windows 2000, you will find many new features that improve the way things are done and therefore ease the burden of administration.

We begin this study guide by looking at what Active Directory is and explaining its features and concepts in a manner that sets the stage for the coming chapters. This chapter does not contain any formal Microsoft exam objectives, but you should become familiar with the terms discussed here. This information guides you as you study how to create your first Active Directory forest and domain and learn how to administer them on a day-to-day basis.