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Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

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What is a Domain Controller?

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is the directory service that Microsoft networks rely on.

  • Domain Controller (DC): A server that holds a copy of the Active Directory database (ntds.dit). It handles authentication (logging in) and authorization (permissions) for the users and computers in the domain.
  • The Domain: A logical group of network objects (computers, users, devices) that share the same AD database.
  • Organizational Units (OUs): Containers within a domain used to organize users and computers. Crucially, Group Policies are linked to OUs.