MCSA/MCSE Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-270): Installing ...

F14us02
Objects
Computers
Users
Figure 14-2 Each Active Directory object is defined by its attributes.
Note Some objects, known as containers, can contain other objects. For example, a
domain is a container object.
Organizational Units
Attributes
Computer name
Description
Attributes
First name
Last name
Logon name
Lesson 1 Overview of Active Directory
Active Directory
Computers
Users
Comp1
Comp2
Comp3
Jane Doe
John Doe
Attribute
value
14-5
Enterprises often have thousands of computers, groups, and users. If you had several
thousand computers in a single list, it would be very difficult to identify all the computers
belonging to, say, the Accounting department, or located within the Boston
office. Enterprises need a way to organize these objects. An organizational unit (OU)
is a container used to organize objects within a domain into logical administrative
groups. OUs provide a way to create administrative boundaries within a domain,
allowing you to delegate administrative tasks within the domain. An OU can contain
objects such as user accounts, groups, computers, printers, applications, file shares,
and other OUs (refer to Figure 14-1).
The OU hierarchy within a domain is independent of the OU hierarchy structure of
other domains—each domain can implement its own OU hierarchy. There are no
restrictions on the depth of the OU hierarchy. However, a shallow hierarchy performs
better than a deep one, so you should not create an OU hierarchy any deeper
than necessary.