The logical structure of Active Directory is flexible and provides a method for designing a directory hierarchy that makes sense to both its users and those who manage it. In Windows, locating objects was based on knowing their physical locations on servers. With Windows 2000, the Directory provides a logical hierarchy, independent of physical location. You can create an organizational unit and place all printers into it, for instance, regardless of to which computers they are physically attached. At its most basic, Active Directory contains objects and attributes, all of which are hierarchically arranged, so that you can view your directory's contents with ease. But in order to use and administer Active Directory with competence, you will need to know its logical structure in detail and the different layers of its content pool.
The principal areas of Active Directory's structure include:
- Domains
- Organizational units
- Trees
- Forests
Here you can see their relationship to one another.
Multiple Domains in Active Directory
As this Slideshow illustrates, the areas of Active Directory may proliferate easily, but they will always be organized in a visibly recognizable and readable way. In the next lesson, you will learn more about the function and purpose of domains.