Thecus N5500 User's Manual

Appendix D: Active Directory BasicsOverviewWith Windows 2000, Microsoft introduced Active Directory (ADS), which is a largedatabase/information store. Prior to Active Directory the Windows OS could notstore additional information in its domain database. Active Directory also solved theproblem of locating resources; which previously relied on Network Neighborhood,and was slow. Managing users and groups were among other issues Active Directorysolved.What is Active Directory?Active Directory was built as a scalable, extensible directory service that wasdesigned to meet corporate needs. A repository for storing user information,accounts, passwords, printers, computers, network information and other data,Microsoft calls Active Directory a "namespace" where names can be resolved.ADS BenefitsADS lets the N5500 integrate itself with the existing ADS in an office environment.This means the N5500 is able to recognize your office users and passwords on theADS server. Other major benefits ADS support provides include:1. Easy integration of the N5500 into the existing office IT infrastructureThe N5500 acts as a member of the ADS. This feature significantly lowers theoverhead of the system administrator. For example, corporate securitypolicies and user privileges on an ADS server can be enforced automaticallyon the N5500.2. Centralized user/password databaseThe N5500 does not maintain its own copy of the user/password database.This avoids data inconsistency between the N5500 and other servers. Forexample, without ADS support, an administrator might need to remove aspecific user privilege on the N5500 and each individual server. With ADSsupport, the change on an ADS server is known to all of its ADS members.139