Creating Active Directory Infrastructures

Curt Simmons has been working with Windows 2000 Server since Beta 1. He is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) specializing in Microsoft operating systems, BackOffice products, and Internet technologies. Simmons has written nearly a dozen technical books and training manuals, including Configuring Windows 2000 Server (Prentice Hall PTR, ISBN 0-13-085858-7). He is based in Dallas, TX, and can be visited on the Internet at http://curtsimmons.hypermart.net

1. Active Directory Concepts.


What Is the Active Directory? Design Goals of the Active Directory. Active Directory Namespace. LDAP in the Active Directory. Active Directory Hierarchy. Object. Organizational Unit. Domain. Tree. Domain Trees. Forest. Site. Active Directory Names. Global Catalog. Summary.



2. Gathering Business Data.


Who Should Plan an Active Directory Infrastructure. Tier 1: Core Planners. Tier 2: Review Committee. Tier 3: Management. Gather Organizational Structure Data. How Is the Organizational Structure Physically Located? Reviewing Users and Groups. Planning for the Future. Summary. Case Study.



3. Gathering Network Data.


Exploring Your Network Topology. Exploring Your Network Type and Protocol Usage. Exploring Network Links. Examining Your Current Hardware. Identifying Problem Areas. Summary. Case Study.



4. Planning Your Active Directory Namespace.


Overview of the DNS Naming Hierarchy. DNS Hierarchy. DNS Zones. How DNS Name Resolution Works. Planning Your Domain Name. Your Domain Name and the Internet. Use a Subdomain. Firewall. Private DNS Name. A Warning About DNS Servers. Summary. Case Study.



5. Planning Your Active Directory Domain Structure.


Domains and the Active Directory. Domain Consolidation in the Active Directory. Deciding Between Single or Multiple Domains. Multiple Domain Options. Domain Tree. Forest. Multiple Forests. About Sites. Summary. Case Study.



6. Planning Your Active Directory OU Structure.


OU Fundamentals. OU Hierarchy. Examining Your Administrative Model. Planning Your OU Structure. Example Domain Models. Geographic Structure. Business Division Structure. Administrative Structure. Combined Approach. Summary. Case Study.



7. Planning for Delegation.


Active Directory Security. Security Groups. Ownership. Inheritance. Planning for Delegation. Summary. Case Study.



8. Planning for Group Policy.


What Is Group Policy? Group Policy Console. Group Policy Options. Computer Configuration. User Configuration. Planning for Group Policy. Summary. Case Study.



9. Getting Ready for Implementation.


Understanding Mixed and Native Mode. Reexamining Your Domain Structure. Upgrading to the Active Directory. Examine Server Hardware. Consolidating Domains. Upgrade Steps. Summary. Case Study.



10. Installing the Active Directory.


Installing the Domain Root. Creating a Child Domain. Upgrading Backup Domain Controllers. Forest Configurations. Removing the Active Directory. Summary. Case Study.



11. Setting Up OUs and Accounts.


Setting Up OUs. Creating and Configuring User Accounts. Creating a New User Account. Configuring Account Properties. Creating and Configuring Group Accounts. Creating a New Group Account. Configuring Group Properties. Configuring Computer Accounts. Summary. Case Study.



12. Setting Up Other Objects.


Contacts. Printers. Printers Connected to Windows 2000 Computers. Printers Connected to Downlevel Computers. Printer Properties. Shared Folders. Summary. Case Study.



13. Configuring and Managing Domain Controllers, Domains, and Trusts.


Managing Domain Controllers. The Domains and Trusts Snap-in. Domain Properties. General. Trusts. Managed By. Summary. Case Study.



14. Understanding Active Directory Replication.


Active Directory Replication. The Replication Process. Change Notification. Update Request. Understanding Replication Partitions. Operations Masters. Replication Topology. Summary. Case Study.



15. Active Directory Sites and Replication.


Understanding Active Directory Sites. User Authentication. Replication Traffic. Service Localization. Installing Sites. Active Directory Sites and Services Tool. Creating a New Site. Site Container Properties. Setting Up Inter-Site Transports. Creating a New Site Link. Configuring Site Links. Creating Site Link Bridges. Domain Controller Settings. Site Licensing Computer. NTDS Site Settings. Server Settings. Global Catalog Selection. Defining Subnets. General Planning Tips. Summary. Case Study.



16. Setting Up Delegation and Security.


Delegation of Control. OU Delegation. Delegating a Domain. Delegating the Site. Setting Security. Using the Security Tab. Class and Attribute Security. Installing the AdminPak. Opening the Active Directory Schema. Setting Class and Attribute Security. Summary. Case Study.



17. Implementing Group Policy.


Overview of Group Policy. Group Policy Inheritance. The Group Policy Tabs. Editing a Group Policy. Software Installation. Windows Settings. Templates. Implementation Considerations. Summary. Case Study.



18. Active Directory Schema.


What Is the Schema? The Schema Manager Snap-in. Schema Classes. Schema Attributes. Summary.



19. Intellimirror and Dfs.


Intellimirror. Distributed File System (Dfs). Configuring Dfs. Summary.



20. Active Directory Backup and Restoration.


Backing Up the Active Directory. Creating a Backup Job Using the Wizard. Creating a Backup Job without Using the Wizard. Restoring Active Directory Data. Restoring the Active Directory Using the Wizard. Restoring the Active Directory without the Wizard. Authoritative Restore. Command Line Reference. Active Directory Maintenance. Common Problems. Can't Create Active Directory Objects. Can't Add a New Domain. Downlevel Clients Cannot Log On. Changes to Group Memberships Do Not Take Effect. Clients Cannot Access Resources in Other Domains. A Domain Controller Contains Outdated Active Directory Information. Some Active Directory Objects Have “Disappeared”. Summary. Case Study.



Appendix A: Worksheets and Forms.


Examining Your Company's Organizational Structure. Examining Your Network. Planning Your Domain Name. Planning Your Domain Structure. Planning the OU Structure. Planning for Delegation. Planning for Group Policy Implementation. Shared Resource Publication Request. Site Planning. Delegation Form.



Appendix B: Helpful Active Directory Tools.


NTDSUTIL.EXE. DSASTAT.EXE. MOVETREE.EXE. DSACLS.EXE. LDP.EXE. REPADMIN.EXE. REPLMON.EXE.



Index.