Active Directory - a Contemporary Network Management Techniques - Research Paper Example

Active Directory Table of Contents Table of Contents 1 Abstract 2 Introduction 2 Background 3 Active Directory operational structure 3 Network management though Active Directory 5 Conclusion 7 References 8 Abstract The implementation of network technology in organizational scenario is turned out to be a vital need. The network implementation and management are two main areas those are now taking more concentration of researchers for the potential enhancements. This research is going to provide a deep insight into the development and implementation of the network management and administration tool like Active Directory. Introduction Active Directory is a windows characteristic that presents information management in relation to the network users and resources (Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat, 2005). Active Directory is the contemporary network management techniques that allow managing, handling assign rights and security parameters. Active Directory is a network management technology developed through the efforts of the Microsoft for the better network management and provides a range of network management services. Active Directory is a form of database that enlists the network security, polices and user information. Active Directory employing the similar database, for exercise of main MS Windows settings, Active Directory as well permits network administrators to allocate deploy software, policies, as well as implement important updates to an association. AD supplies data and information as well as settings in a fundamental database (Sullivan, 2001). Background It is the windows execution of lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) services. Active Directory keeps the topology information regarding the domain, keeps the domain based user and group accounts and passwords, and offers a domain based store for technologies such as group rules and intellimirror. Network Administrators utilize rules to set up principles for desktop preferences and software. For a lot of corporate information technology groups, consistency radically diminishes the expenditure of computing. Intellimirror is utilized together with group rules to indicate what software should be offered to each category of users, no matter automatically installing it on demand from a corporate server (Silberschatz, Galvin, & Gagne, 2004). Active directory is a most important part of the Windows platform. Active Directory service presents the ways to handle the identities and associations that form network environments. Windows Server 2003 creates Active Directory in a simple way to administer, lessening migration and operation (Microsoft, 2009). Active Directory operational structure An active directory is a directory configurations which are utilized by Microsoft Windows based computers and servers to keep information and data regarding networks and domains. It was developed in 1996 and it was used for online information in the starting (Tech-FAQ, 2009). An active directory (mostly acknowledged as an AD) carries of an assortment of tasks, which comprise, the capability to present information on objects, facilitates systematize these objects for trouble-free recovery and contact, permits right of entry by end users and administrators and helps the network administrator to put the security for the directory (Tech-FAQ, 2009). In more simple words, an active directory can be described as a hierarchical formation and normally this hierarchical formation is divided into three most important classes, the resources which might consist of hardware for instance printers, services for end users for instance web email servers and objects which are the most important tasks of the domain and network (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Here it is necessary to define the object. An object is a part of hardware for instance, printer, end user, or security settings put by the network administrator (Tech-FAQ, 2009). These objects can store further objects inside their file structure. All the objects have an ID; normally this ID is the object name (in other words folder name). Additionally, these objects are capable to store other objects, every object has its own attributes which permits it to be distinguished by means of the information which it holds (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Normally, IT experts acknowledge it as “setting or characterizations” schemas. The utilization of these objects depends on the type of scheme that is produced for a folder. This scheme determines how to utilize these objects. Such as, a number of objects with definite schemas can not be removed, they can simply be deactivated. On the other hand, different types of schemas with definite attributes can be removed completely. For example, a user object can be removed, however the administrator object can not be removed (Tech-FAQ, 2009). It is imperative to be familiar with the framework that objects can be observed at while understanding the active directories. Actually, an active directory can be observed at whichever one of three levels, these levels are acknowledged as forests, trees or domains. The uppermost configuration is acknowledged as the forest for the reason that all the objects comprised inside the active directory can be viewed. Inside the Forest structure are trees, these structures typically keep one or more domains, reaching more downward the structure of an active directory are single domains (Tech-FAQ, 2009). To set the forest, trees and domains into point of view, think about the given example. A huge corporation has numerous users and processes. The forest would be the complete network of end users and definite computers at a set location. Inside this forest directory are at this time trees that store information on definite objects for instance domain controllers, program data, etc. Actually, inside these objects there are more objects which can be managed and classified (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Computer or network administrator working for large organization can without problems update all end users computers with modern and up-to-date software, patches, files, etc straightforwardly through updating one object in a forest or tree (Tech-FAQ, 2009). For the reason that each object fits on a structure and has definite characteristics, a computer administrator can straightforwardly clear a person on a set tree or immediately offer right of entry to various users for definite applications or refuse right of entry to definite users for others (Tech-FAQ, 2009). The Microsoft servers utilize trust to make a decision right of entry should be given or not. There are two types of trust that Microsoft active directories uses one is transitive trusts and other is one way transitive trusts (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Network management though Active Directory The network administrator can have right of entry for the majority trees in the forest together with a definite end user's domain (Tech-FAQ, 2009). On the other hand the end user, at the same time as capable to access his/her personal domain is not capable to access additional trees. The whole discussion outlines that active directories are an enormous method to systematize a huge organization’s computers data and network. Without the utilization of an active directory, the majority end users would have computers that would require to be updated separately and would not have right of entry to a main network where data can be processed and reports can be produced (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Despite the fact that active directories are tremendously technical and have need of many skills to find the way, they are indispensable to keeping information and data on networks (Tech-FAQ, 2009). Mostly large organizations handle right of entry to their employee network and security policies by means of Microsoft Active Directory. Several are satisfied with the system, however a number of state it's complicated and also hard to employ (Brenner, 2006). “One confront is having the time and capabilities to actually describe Active Directory consequently it's reliable and facilitates the organizations to put group rules that work for IT and the users," stated Mark Cardono, an IT expert for the Shore Educational Collaborative, a Chelsea, Mass.-based special needs school serving 10 districts in Massachusetts (Brenner, 2006). AD provides the network management facility is a hierarchical arrangement as well as this arrangement is typically changes into 3 major groups, those are given below (Sullivan, 2001): Network resources The resources can be printers, or some other hardware Services These services are for the end-users like that web based email servers Objects These objects are the major functions of the network domain Active Directory Implementation In this scenario, when this takes place wrongly, the Active Directory arrangement is not extremely tolerant. Setting the incorrect rights in the incorrect hands could guide to a entirety reconstruction of an organization’s network domain. For this reason it is imperative to obtain 3 straightforward phases to augment support of Active Directory arrangement implementation (Petri, 2009). These phases are 1. Plan 2. Delegate 3. Audit. Conclusion In this research I have presented a detailed analysis of the active directory. This research has outlined the main areas of the network management and handling those are managed through the active directory. This research also presented the detailed analysis of main operations of active directory and facilities for the network management. This paper will be helpful to understand the active directory working and operations. References Brenner, B. (2006, June 29). Active Directory users finding their way. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from SearchSecurity.com: http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid14_gci1195751,00.html Microsoft. (2009). Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from Microsoft.com: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/technologies/directory/activedirectory/default.mspx Petri, D. (2009). Active Directory Tips and Tricks. Retrieved August 22, 2009, from Petri IT Knowledge Base: http://www.petri.co.il/ad.htm Shelly, Cashman, & Vermaat. (2005). Discovering Computers 2005. Boston: Thomson Course Technology. Silberschatz, A., Galvin, P. B., & Gagne, G. (2004). Operating System Concepts (7th Edition). Wiley. Sullivan, A. (2001, August 01). An Audit of Active Directory Security, Part One: An Overview of Active Directory and Security . Retrieved August 22, 2009, from http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1292 Tech-FAQ. (2009). What is Active Directory? Retrieved August 22, 2009, from tech-faq.com: http://www.tech-faq.com/active-directory.shtml Read More