1.3 - Logical Components of AD

AD DS Schema

The schema defines the structure and rules for objects stored in Active Directory. It is critical for maintaining consistency and ensuring the directory can adapt to organizational needs.

Key Features

• Object Classes: Define entities like users, computers, and groups. For example, a "User" object class includes attributes such as Username, Email, and Group Membership.

• Attributes: Specify properties of objects. Each object class has mandatory and optional attributes.

• Extensibility: Administrators can extend the schema to include custom attributes or object classes as business requirements evolve.

• Replication: Schema updates are replicated across all domain controllers in the forest to ensure uniformity.

• Practical Example: When deploying a custom application, you might extend the schema to include new attributes (e.g., "Application License Key") tied to user accounts.

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Domains

Domains are foundational units in AD, providing a centralized boundary for management, security, and replication.

Key Features:

• Organizational Boundary: Each domain groups objects under a shared namespace (e.g., example.com).

• Security Boundary: Domains enforce access control and authentication policies, ensuring users only access permitted resources.

• Trust Relationships: Enable collaboration across domains while maintaining distinct security boundaries.

• Namespace Management: DNS integration allows resources to be easily discovered and accessed.

Real-World Usage: A multinational organization might have separate domains for each region (e.g., europe.example.com, asia.example.com), each with its administrative team and policies.

Trees

A tree is a hierarchical structure comprising a parent domain and its child domains, sharing a contiguous namespace.

Key Features

• Domains within a tree automatically trust each other through transitive trust relationships.

• Useful for managing organizations with multiple departments or geographic locations while maintaining a unified structure.

Forests

Forests represent the top-level logical boundary in Active Directory. A forest can contain multiple trees, each with distinct namespaces, but sharing the same schema and Global Catalog.

Key Features

• Acts as the ultimate security boundary; inter-forest communication requires explicit trust configurations.

• Forest-wide policies apply uniformly across all domains.

Organizational Units (OUs)

https://www.conceptdraw.com/examples/active-directory-policy-structure

OUs are containers within domains used to organize objects logically for administrative purposes.

Key Features

• Allow delegation of administrative responsibilities without granting full domain-level access.

• Enable application of specific Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to subsets of users or computers.

Example: A company might create separate OUs for "Finance," "HR," and "IT," each with tailored policies and administrative controls.

Trusts

https://learn.microsoft.com/it-it/entra/identity/domain-services/media/concepts-forest-trust/forest-trusts-diagram.png

Trusts allow users in one domain or forest to access resources in another securely.

Types

• Transitive Trusts: Automatically established within a forest.

• External Trusts: Configured between forests or standalone domains.

Practical Use: Trusts are essential for mergers or partnerships where resource sharing is needed while retaining separate administrative boundaries.

Objects

Objects are the individual elements within AD, representing entities like users, groups, computers, and printers.

Key Features

• Each object belongs to a specific class and is identified by a unique name (e.g., a user's samAccountName).

• Attributes define the characteristics and functionality of objects.

Forests and Domain Trusts

https://learn.microsoft.com/it-it/entra/identity/domain-services/media/concepts-forest-trust/kerberos-over-forest-trust-process-diagram.png

Trust configurations extend collaboration and resource sharing across forests.

Complexity and Security: Managing trust relationships requires careful planning to avoid unintended access or security gaps.

Difference between OUs and Security Groups

OUs (Organizational Units) are used to organize and manage objects (like users and computers) within a domain. They help with delegating administrative tasks and applying group policies but don’t control access to resources.

Security Groups are used to manage access to resources, such as files or applications. Users are grouped based on the permissions they need, and access is granted based on group membership.

Example: You could have an OU called "HR" to manage HR users, while a "Finance" Security Group might control access to sensitive financial files. OUs organize, while Security Groups manage permissions.