# Active Directory Components 🪟 **Active Directory** (**AD**) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It provides directory services for managing Windows-based computers on a network. AD stores information about objects such as users, groups, computers, and other resources, and provides authentication and authorization services.
*** ### Physical components * Data store * Domain controllers * Global catalog server * Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) ➡️ **Domain Controller** - a server with the [Active Directory Domain Services](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-ds/get-started/virtual-dc/active-directory-domain-services-overview) (**AD DS**) server role, specifically promoted to a domain controller * Host a copy of the AD DS directory store * Provide authentication and authorization services * Replicate updates to other domain controllers * Allow administrative access to manage user accounts and network resources ➡️ **AD DS Data store** - database files and processes that store and manage directory information for users, services and apps * Contains `Ntds.dit` file - very important file (contains password hashes, etc) * stored in the `%SystemRoot%\NTDS` folder on all domain controllers * accessible only through the domain controller processes and protocols *** ### Logical components * Partitions * Schema * Domains * Domain trees * Forests * Sites * Organization units (OUs) ➡️ **AD DS Schema** - (like a rulebook) defines every type of object that can be stored in the directory, enforces object creation and configuration rules * Class object - what objects can be created in the directory (user, computer, etc) * Attribute object - information that can be attached to an object (display name, etc) ➡️ **Domains** - used to group and manage objects in an organization * Administrative boundary for applying policies to groups of objects * Replication boundary for replicating data between domain controllers * Authentication and authorization boundary - to limit the scope of access to resources ➡️ **Trees** - a hierarchy of domains in AD DS, that can * share a contiguous namespace with the parent domain * can have additional child domains * (by default) create a 2-way transitive trust with other domains ➡️ **Forests** - a collection of domain trees * Forests share common * schema * configuration partition * global catalog to enable searching * Enable trusts between all domains in the forest * Share the **Enterprise Admins** and **Schema Admins** groups ➡️ **Organizational Units (OUs)** - AD containers that can contain users, groups, computers, other OUs * Represent the organization hierarchically and logically * Manage a collection of objects in a consistent way * Delegate permissions to administer groups of objects * Apply policies ➡️ **Trusts** - provide a mechanism for users to gain access to resources in another domain * All domains in a forest trust all other domains in the forest * Trusts can extend outside the forest * **Directional** - the trust direction flows from trusting domain to the trusted domain * trusting domain -> trusted domain * **Transitive** - the trust relationship is extended to include other trusted domains ➡️ **Objects** * User - Enables network resource access for a user * InetOrgPerson - Used for compatibility with other directory services * Contacts - Used primarily to assign e-mail addresses to external users; no network access * Groups - Used to simplify the administration of access control * Computers - Enable authentication and auditing of computer access to resources * Printers - Simplify the process of locating and connecting to printers * Shared folders - Enables users to search for shared folders based on preperties --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://ahmed-tarek.gitbook.io/security-notes/notes/active-directory-pentesting/active-directory-components.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.