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

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Figure 14-3 A domain tree is a hierarchical grouping of domains that share a contiguous
namespace.
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The first domain you create in a tree is called the root domain. The next domain that
you add becomes a child domain of that root. Trees have the following characteristics:
■ Following DNS standards, the domain name of a child domain is the relative name
of that child domain appended with the name of the parent domain.
■ All domains within a single tree share a common schema, which is a formal definition
of all object types that you can store in an Active Directory deployment.
■ All domains within a single tree share a common Global Catalog, which is the central
repository of information about objects in a tree.
Forests
microsoft.com
uk.microsoft.com us.microsoft.com
sis.uk.microsoft.com
Lesson 1 Overview of Active Directory
A forest is a grouping or hierarchical arrangement of one or more domain trees that
form a disjointed namespace, but might share a common schema and Global Catalog
(see Figure 14-4). In the example shown in Figure 14-4, the namespace microsoft.com
is represented in one tree, and the namespace msn.com is represented in another.
There is always at least one forest on a network, and it is created when the first Active
Directory–enabled computer (domain controller) on a network is installed. This first
domain in a forest, called the forest root domain, is special because it holds the schema
and controls domain naming for the entire forest. It cannot be removed from the forest
without removing the entire forest itself. Also, no other domain can ever be created
above the forest root domain in the forest domain hierarchy.