Understanding Active Directory Structure Link to heading

Active Directory (AD) is organized into a hierarchical structure that helps manage and organize network resources efficiently. This section explores the core elements of AD structure, including forests, domains, trees, and organizational units (OUs), and their roles within an AD environment.

AD Forests and Domains Link to heading

Forests: Definition and Purpose Link to heading

• Definition: An Active Directory forest is the top-level container in AD that holds one or more domains. It represents the entire AD infrastructure within an organization or across multiple organizations.
• Purpose: Forests provide a security boundary and a common schema, global catalog, and configuration across the domains within the forest.
• Trusts: Forests are linked by trust relationships that facilitate resource sharing and authentication across different forests.

Domains: Structure and Hierarchy Link to heading

• Definition: A domain is a logical grouping of objects (users, computers, etc.) within an AD forest. Each domain has its own database and security policies.
• Structure: Domains are used to organize objects and manage permissions within a specific administrative boundary.
• Hierarchy: Domains can be arranged in a hierarchical structure within a forest, where domains can be parent or child domains.

Trust Relationships Between Domains Link to heading

• Definition: Trust relationships are links established between domains that allow users in one domain to access resources in another domain.
• Types of Trusts:
  • Parent-Child Trust: Automatically created between parent and child domains, allowing seamless resource access.
  • Sibling Trust: Explicitly configured between domains at the same level within a forest.
  • External Trust: Established between domains in different forests or with non-AD environments.
  • Forest Trust: Established between different forests to enable resource sharing and authentication across forest boundaries.

Active Directory Trees and Forests Link to heading

Tree Structure: Parent and Child Domains Link to heading

• Tree Structure: A tree is a collection of one or more domains that share a common namespace. The structure includes:
  • Parent Domain: The top-level domain in the tree.
  • Child Domains: Domains that are hierarchical subdomains of the parent domain, sharing the same namespace but with their own administrative boundaries.
• Namespace: Domains within a tree share a contiguous namespace, meaning child domains inherit the parent domain’s namespace.

Forests: Multiple Trees Link to heading

• Forests: A forest can contain multiple trees, each with its own namespace.
  • Multiple Trees: Trees within a forest are linked together, allowing for resource sharing and a unified global catalog.
  • Cross-Tree Trusts: Automatically created between trees in the same forest to facilitate resource access across different trees.

Organizational Units (OUs) Link to heading

Creating and Managing OUs Link to heading

• Definition: Organizational Units (OUs) are containers within a domain that help organize and manage AD objects.
• Creation: OUs can be created to reflect the organization’s structure, such as departments, locations, or project teams.
• Management: OUs allow for the application of Group Policies, delegation of administrative control, and organization of users, computers, and other resources.

Delegation of Control Link to heading

• Definition: Delegation of control involves assigning specific administrative tasks to users or groups within an OU.
• How It Works: Administrators can delegate permissions for managing objects within an OU, such as creating user accounts or managing group memberships.
• Benefits: Delegation helps distribute administrative tasks and responsibilities, improving efficiency and security by limiting the scope of administrative privileges.