Active Directory Features Facts

Feature	Description
Global Catalog	The Global Catalog (GC) is a database that contains a partial replica of every object from every domain within a forest. A server that holds a copy of the Global Catalog is a global catalog server. The Global Catalog facilitates faster searches because different domain controllers do not have to be referenced.
Operations Master Roles	Operations master roles, also referred to as Flexible Single-Master Operation (FSMO) roles, are specialized domain controller tasks assigned to a domain controller in the domain or forest. Operations master roles are useful because certain domain and enterprise-wide operations are not well suited for the multi-master replication performed by Active Directory to replicate objects and attributes. A domain controller that performs an operations master role is known as an operations master or operations master role owner. The following roles are forest roles, meaning that one domain controller within the entire forest holds the role: The schema master maintains the Active Directory schema for the forest. The domain naming master adds new domains to and removes existing domains from the forest. The following roles are domain roles, meaning that one domain controller in each domain holds the role: The RID master allocates pools or blocks of numbers (called relative IDs or RIDs) that are used by the domain controller when creating new security principles (such as user, group, or computer accounts). The PDC emulator acts like a Windows NT 4.0 Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and performs other tasksnormally associated with NT domain controllers. The infrastructure master is responsible for updating changes made to objects. As you install or remove domain controllers, you will need to be aware of which domain controllers hold these roles.
Functional Level	A functional level is a set of operation constraints that determine the functions that can be performed by an Active Directory domain or forest. A functional level defines: Which Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) features are available to the domain or forest. Which Windows Server operating systems can be run on domain controllers in the domain or forest. Functional levels do not affect which operating systems you can run on workstations and servers that are joined to the domain or forest. Windows Server 2008 supports the following domain functional levels: Windows 2000 Native Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Windows Server 2008 supports the following forest functional levels: Windows 2000 Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2008 Note: You cannot have Windows NT domain controllers and Windows Server 2008 domain controllers in the same forest.
Group Policy	A policy is a set of configuration settings that must be applied to users or computers. Collections of policy settings are stored in a Group Policy object (GPO). The GPO is a collection of files that includes registry settings, scripts, templates, and software-specific configuration values. Group Policy is an important component of Active Directory because through Group Policy you can centrally manage and enforce desktop and other settings for users and computers within your organization. For example, with Group Policy you can: Enforce a common desktop for users Remove desktop components, such as preventing access to the Control Panel Restricting what actions users can perform, such as preventing users from shutting down the system Automatically installing software Dynamically set registry settings required by applications

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