In an Active Directory (AD) environment, objects encompass various resources such as organizational units (OUs), printers, users, domain controllers, and more. These objects are integral to the AD infrastructure, each playing a specific role in the directory's operation and management.
LDAP, which stands for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, is utilized for accessing and maintaining directory services over a network.
It allows applications and services to query information within the directory, such as user accounts and network resources.
Each Active Directory object is defined by attributes that specify its characteristics, like a computer object's hostname and DNS name, which are accessed using LDAP names such as displayName for Full Name and givenName for First Name.
The AD schema defines the structure of the enterprise environment, outlining object types and their attributes.
Objects like users and computers belong to specific classes, with each object carrying required and optional attribute information.
When an object is created from a class, it is instantiated as an instance of that class. For example, the computer RDS01 is an instance of the "computer" class.
Additionally, a domain in AD is a collection of objects such as computers, users, and groups, functioning similarly to a city within a state, and can operate independently or connect through trust relationships.
Summary:
- Active Directory objects are defined by attributes accessible via LDAP, with their structure determined by the schema.
- Domains organize these objects and can operate independently or in connection with others.