How To Manage Network Environment using Active Directory

Active directory is the protocol which provides the platform to manage the network environment. Microsoft has done enough amendment to simplify the use of Active Directory in terms of management, migration and deployment.

Important feature of Active Directory include:
· Permission of X.500 close user group professional in the same company.
· Inception of secure data management
· Presence of hierarchical system allows the system administrator to have clean information of individual user accounts
· Object-targeted storage organization, allows easy access for information from anywhere in the network.

Benefits of Active Directory
· Organizations are able to perform their regular business operating while switching over from one network to other network platform.
· Users don’t have to do much amendment in the existing network.
· Existing user accounts and resource permission will be self migrated.
· Services and application running on the existing platform would also get migrated without any effort.

Deployment of Active Directory
User should follow the below suggestion to formulate Active directory over the new server platform.
· Test and verify the deployment process.
· Against the Forest Root create a DNS.
· Create the Forest Root.
· Map a new Regional Domain.
· Import your valuable data from other sources.

Revealing Windows Server 2003 Resource Tools Kit

A Resource Kit is not a part of any software but it contains a set of software resources and documentation for the software products. It gives many resources like technical help, features and troubleshooting information, management and many more also.

Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools can be used on many editions of Windows including Windows XP. It is a set of tools that can assist administrators in the streamline management tasks like troubleshooting operating system consequences, organizing Active Directory, assembling networking and security features. It comprises a improved command line shell and 188 tools. After its installation, command line shell gives a very smooth integration with Unix utilities that are available in it. Some of the information present in the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit can be described as follows:

Technical Reference - It gives the comprehensive information about the technologies present in the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 operating system. It is planned to help IT planners and administrators by supplying the foundational information about the technology elements of the operating system.

Deployment Kit - The Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit gives guidelines and recommended processes for planning and preparing for Server 2003 technologies to fulfill your business requirements and IT goals.

The Migrating from Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 template is planned for those IT administrators which are present in small and medium sized firms. It gives them assistance in the upgrading of the domain controller, DHCP server, print server, remote access server and Web server roles from Windows NT 4.0 to 2003.

Get Microsoft Server 2000 Support and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Support. For more queries

Revealing Windows Server 2003 Editions

As you would be familiar with Windows Server 2003, Microsoft developed operating system to be used on the servers. There are various editions of Windows Server 2003 and one of them is Web Edition, which is primarily used for creating and hosting Web applications, Web pages and XML web services. This edition is planned for using it as an IIS 6.0 Web server and it gives a platform for quickly formulating and deploying XML Web services. Terminal Server mode is not present on Web Edition and it does not need Client Access Licenses. After installation of its Service Pack 1, you can install Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft Exchange software in this edition.

Another edition of Windows Server 2003 is the Standard Edition, which is focused for the small to medium sized businesses. This edition provides centralized desktop application deployment and secure Internet connectivity. The initial launch of WS 2003 was usable for only 32-bit processors, a 64-bit edition for holding the x86-64 architecture was launched in April 2005.

Enterprise Edition of this is focused towards medium to large businesses. This edition is available in 64-bit versions for the Itanium and x64 architectures. The 64-bit version of this Edition is adequate of dealing up to 1 TB of memory.

Datacenter Edition of Windows Server 2003 is developed for those infrastructures which require high security and reliability. Server for this edition can be used with the x86, Itanium and x86-64 processors. Windows Server Datacenter Edition is comprised of the better support for Storage Area Networks, supports 8-node clustering and many other features.

Alteration in Terminal Server's Listening Port

It is a well-known fact that TCP port 3389 is used by Terminal Server and Windows 2000 Terminal Services for client connections. Alteration in this port is not recommended by Microsoft. But you can change this port. You have to perform this task carefully, otherwise you will face serious problems.

You have to give more concentration while modifying the registry. If you want to change the default port, then you have to follow these steps:

• You start with the task of running Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\RDP-Tcp.
• Then you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, hex is for 3389.
• After this, you have to change the port number in Hex and save the new value

If you want to change the port for a particular connection on the Terminal Server then follow these steps:

• You have to run Regedt32 and go to this key, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server\WinStations\connection.
• After this, you have to find the port number subkey and notice the value of 00000D3D, here hex is for 3389.
• Then you have to change the port number in Hex and save this new value.

After performing this, you have to make alteration in the Port on the Client Side. Follow these steps to perform this:

• You have to open Client Connection Manager.
• Then on the File menu, click on New Connection and then create the new connection. After executing the wizard, you will view a new connection listed there.
• Then you have to ensure that new connection is highlighted. After this, on the File menu, click Export.
• Then you have to edit the .cns file using Notepad. You have to make modifications in the server port, Server Port=3389 to Server Port= new port number, that you had specified on Terminal Server.
• Now import the file back into Client Connection Manager. Then you will be demanded to overwrite the current one.
• If it has the same name, then overwrite it.

In this way, you will receive a client that has the correct port settings to match your Terminal Server settings. Hope it will help you out, Don’t Forget to subscribe to my blog for more tips and tricks on server and Microsoft Server Support Services

Define Active Directory and its Functionalities?

With the ever increasing amount of data moving across large networks, it behooves the network systems administrator to oversee the proper function of these elements, not to mention implement the correct security measures. One helpful tool is the Active Directory.

Developed in 1996 by Microsoft, the Active Directory is the primary method by which Windows operating systems amasses information about domains, and also monitors them. In recent years the function has been increased to allow it to facilitate and view online data flows.

The Structure of the Active Directory

Because it was devised to make accessible all the pertinent objects in the network, the directory was structured in an easy to understand hierarchical structure. There are multiple viewing levels: forests, trees and domains/objects.

The forest is where every tree and domain can be viewed; dropping to the tree level, you will see that it contains one or more domains. Domains or objects have no deeper level.

There are three main categories:

• Resources : It cover hardware devices like printers and scanners.


• Servers : It is primary components of both the network and the domain.


• Objects : It is also primary components of both the network and the domain.

The Active Directory is especially useful for managing objects. An object can be defined as any element that can contain another object. Every object has its own properties or schemas, which can be accessed and modified.

How the Active Directory Works

What makes Active Directory so important for a systems administrator is that it makes the updating and upgrading process a virtual one step process. For example, you need to install a new security application. If there are several computers in the network, the procedure would be tedious, but Active Directory, via its forest structure, makes this easy; you just update one object and it applies to all.

The structure is also flexible enough to allow for making changes to specific objects. Because each has its own schema, then the administrator can assign a particular task to a user and use certain software without giving access to everyone.

Active Directory Installation

Active Directory Installation is not a tough and nasty task, rather than it is very easy. It will not take too much time also.You can install it without facing too much problems. Only you have to follow the given steps;

1. Login to the box either locally via console, or through RDP


2. Go to Start -> Run and type in "dcpromo"


3. For most cases you will select "Domain Controller for a new domain"


4. For most cases you will select "Domain in a new forest"


5. Enter in the FQDN (fully qualified domain name) that you want to use. For example, if your domain was to be called Domain.Com, you would enter Domain.Com. You can also use non existant name spaces such as Domain.Local, or Domain.abc

Afterwards it will also allow to set the NETBIOS name. This is almost always the same name you entered above, only with out the .com (.local, .abc, etc).

6. The next two screens will be where to place file repositories and service folders. You can accept the defaults.


7. Some users may now get presented with a DNS screen asking you to configure DNS, or to do it later. Select the middle option (Install and configure for me). This will most likely NOT set up dns properly.


8. Select the permission type you would like. There are two options. If you will only be using Windows 2003 Server and Windows XP or newer, then select the Second option. otherwise, you would need to use the first option.


9. Pick a "Directory Services Restore" password. Hopefully you will never have to use this as its quite messy for the inexperienced. In either case, Remember this password.


10. At this point in the installation you are presented with a basic "Sumary" page listing the options you have selected. Make sure these are set properly before continuing. once you select "Next", active directory will begin to install, and once it does you will not be able to stop, and you will have to first uninstall in order to go back and fix any problems or misconfiguration later.


11. Active Directory will take a while, it could be a couple minutes, or as much as half an hour. Once it is done you will have to reboot.

If you are still unable to install the Active Directory, then we are here to help you.
Just login at : http://www.iyogibusiness.com/active-directory.html

How to add new objects to Active Directory from command line

H:\>dsadd /?
Description: This tool's commands add specific types of objects to the
directory. The dsadd commands:

dsadd computer - adds a computer to the directory.
dsadd contact - adds a contact to the directory.
dsadd group - adds a group to the directory.
dsadd ou - adds an organizational unit to the directory.
dsadd user - adds a user to the directory.
dsadd quota - adds a quota specification to a directory partition.

For help on a specific command, type "dsadd /?" where
is one of the supported object types shown above.
For example, dsadd ou /?.
Remarks:
Commas that are not used as separators in distinguished names must be
escaped with the backslash ("\") character
(for example, "CN=Company\, Inc.,CN=Users,DC=microsoft,DC=com").
Backslashes used in distinguished names must be escaped with a backslash
(for example,
"CN=Sales\\ Latin America,OU=Distribution Lists,DC=microsoft,DC=com").

Source: infotechguyz