Active Directory: Designing, Deploying, and Running Active Directory

by Brian Desmond, Joe Richards, Robbie Allen, Alistair Lowe-Norris

Overview

Organize your network resources by learning how to design, manage, and maintain Active Directory. Updated to cover Windows Server 2012, the fifth edition of this bestselling book gives you a thorough grounding in Microsoft’s network directory service by explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand, narrative style.

You’ll negotiate a maze of technologies for deploying a scalable and reliable AD infrastructure, with new chapters on management tools, searching the AD database, authentication and security protocols, and Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS). This book provides real-world scenarios that let you apply what you’ve learned—ideal whether you’re a network administrator for a small business or a multinational enterprise.

• Upgrade Active Directory to Windows Server 2012
• Learn the fundamentals, including how AD stores objects
• Use the AD Administrative Center and other management tools
• Learn to administer AD with Windows PowerShell
• Search and gather AD data, using the LDAP query syntax
• Understand how Group Policy functions
• Design a new Active Directory forest
• Examine the Kerberos security protocol
• Get a detailed look at the AD replication process

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449320027
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	05/24/2013
Edition description:	Fifth Edition
Pages:	735
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Brian Desmond spends his days focused on Active Directory for some of the world's largest companies. A Microsoft MVP since 2004, Brian brings extensive knowledge of how Active Directory works and how to successfully run Active Directory deployments large and small.

Joe Richards is a consultant / admin / tool writer who happens to have a secret identity as a Microsoft MVP for Windows Server Directory Services.
His specialty is Directory Services but has "minors" in Security and Active Directory programming. By day he works for a large services/consulting/manufacturing company. He takes time to chat with people on listservs and newsgroups, write about stuff he knows, and whips up various fairly useful tools.

Robbie Allen is a technical leader at Cisco Systems, where he has been involved in the deployment of Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and several network management solutions. Robbie was named a Windows Server MVP in 2004 and 2005 for his contributions to the Windows community and the publication of several popular O'Reilly books. Robbie is currently studying at MIT in its system design and management program. For more information, see Robbie's web site at www.rallenhome.com.

Alistair G. Lowe-Norris is an Architectural Enterprise Strategy Consultant for Microsoft UK. He worked for Leicester Universityas the project manager and technical lead of the Rapid Deployment Program for Windows 2000, responsible for rolling out one of the world's largest deployments of Windows 2000 preceding release of the final product. Since 1998 he has been the technical editor and a monthly columnist for the Windows Scripting Solutions magazine and a technical editor and author for Windows & .NET Magazine (previously Windows NT Magazine and Windows 2000 Magazine).

Table of Contents

Preface; Intended Audience; Contents of the Book; Conventions Used in This Book; Using Code Examples; Safari® Books Online; How to Contact Us; Acknowledgments; Content Updates; Chapter 1: A Brief Introduction; 1.1 Evolution of the Microsoft NOS; 1.2 Summary; Chapter 2: Active Directory Fundamentals; 2.1 How Objects Are Stored and Identified; 2.2 Building Blocks; 2.3 Summary; Chapter 3: Active Directory Management Tools; 3.1 Management Tools; 3.2 Customizing the Active Directory Administrative Snap-ins; 3.3 Active Directory PowerShell Module; 3.4 Best Practices Analyzer; 3.5 Active Directory-Based Machine Activation; 3.6 Summary; Chapter 4: Naming Contexts and Application Partitions; 4.1 Domain Naming Context; 4.2 Configuration Naming Context; 4.3 Schema Naming Context; 4.4 Application Partitions; 4.5 Summary; Chapter 5: Active Directory Schema; 5.1 Structure of the Schema; 5.2 Attributes (attributeSchema Objects); 5.3 Attribute Properties; 5.4 Classes (classSchema Objects); 5.5 Summary; Chapter 6: Site Topology and Active Directory Replication; 6.1 Site Topology; 6.2 How Replication Works; 6.3 Common Replication Problems; 6.4 Summary; Chapter 7: Searching Active Directory; 7.1 The Directory Information Tree; 7.2 Searching the Database; 7.3 Attribute Data Types; 7.4 Optimizing Searches; 7.5 Summary; Chapter 8: Active Directory and DNS; 8.1 DNS Fundamentals; 8.2 DNSSEC; 8.3 DC Locator; 8.4 Resource Records Used by Active Directory; 8.5 Delegation Options; 8.6 Active Directory-Integrated DNS; 8.7 Using Application Partitions for DNS; 8.8 Aging and Scavenging; 8.9 Managing DNS with Windows PowerShell; 8.10 Summary; Chapter 9: Domain Controllers; 9.1 Building Domain Controllers; 9.2 Virtualization; 9.3 Read-Only Domain Controllers; 9.4 Summary; Chapter 10: Authentication and Security Protocols; 10.1 Kerberos; 10.2 Authentication Mechanism Assurance; 10.3 Managed Service Accounts; 10.4 Summary; Chapter 11: Group Policy Primer; 11.1 Capabilities of Group Policy Objects; 11.2 How Group Policies Work; 11.3 Managing Group Policies; 11.4 Troubleshooting Group Policy; 11.5 Summary; Chapter 12: Fine-Grained Password Policies; 12.1 Understanding Password Settings Objects; 12.2 Scenarios for Fine-Grained Password Policies; 12.3 Creating Password Settings Objects; 12.4 Managing Password Settings Objects; 12.5 Delegating Management of PSOs; 12.6 Summary; Chapter 13: Designing the Active Directory Structure; 13.1 The Complexities of a Design; 13.2 Where to Start; 13.3 Overview of the Design Process; 13.4 Domain Namespace Design; 13.5 Design of the Internal Domain Structure; 13.6 Other Design Considerations; 13.7 Design Examples; 13.8 Recognizing Nirvana’s Problems; 13.9 Summary; Chapter 14: Creating a Site Topology; 14.1 Intrasite and Intersite Topologies; 14.2 Designing Sites and Links for Replication; 14.3 Design Examples; 14.4 Additional Resources; 14.5 Summary; Chapter 15: Planning for Group Policy; 15.1 Using GPOs to Help Design the Organizational Unit Structure; 15.2 Design Examples; 15.3 Summary; Chapter 16: Active Directory Security: Permissions and Auditing; 16.1 Permission Basics; 16.2 Using the GUI to Examine Permissions; 16.3 Using the GUI to Examine Auditing; 16.4 Designing Permissions Schemes; 16.5 Designing Auditing Schemes; 16.6 Real-World Active Directory Delegation Examples; 16.7 The AdminSDHolder Process; 16.8 Dynamic Access Control; 16.9 Summary; Chapter 17: Designing and Implementing Schema Extensions; 17.1 Nominating Responsible People in Your Organization; 17.2 Thinking of Changing the Schema; 17.3 Creating Schema Extensions; 17.4 Summary; Chapter 18: Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance; 18.1 Backing Up Active Directory; 18.2 Restoring a Domain Controller; 18.3 Restoring Active Directory; 18.4 Working with Snapshots; 18.5 Active Directory Recycle Bin; 18.6 FSMO Recovery; 18.7 Restartable Directory Service; 18.8 DIT Maintenance; 18.9 Summary; Chapter 19: Upgrading Active Directory; 19.1 Active Directory Versions; 19.2 Functional Levels; 19.3 Beginning the Upgrade; 19.4 Known Issues; 19.5 Summary; Chapter 20: Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services; 20.1 Common Uses for AD LDS; 20.2 AD LDS Terms; 20.3 Differences Between AD and AD LDS; 20.4 AD LDS Installation; 20.5 Tools; 20.6 The AD LDS Schema; 20.7 Using AD LDS; 20.8 Summary; Chapter 21: Active Directory Federation Services; 21.1 Introduction to Federated Identity; 21.2 Understanding ADFS Components; 21.3 Deploying ADFS; 21.4 Relying Party Trusts; 21.5 Claims Rules and the Claims Pipeline; 21.6 Customizing ADFS; 21.7 Troubleshooting ADFS; 21.8 Summary; Programming the Directory with the .NET Framework; Choosing a .NET Programming Language; Choosing a Development Tool; .NET Framework Versions; Directory Services Programming Landscape; .NET Directory Services Programming by Example; Summary; Colophon;