MaxNAS Owner’s Manual 61
Appendix C: Active Directory
With Windows 2000, Microsoft introduced Active Directory (ADS), which is a large database/
information store. Prior to Active Directory the Windows OS could not store additional information in
its domain database. Active Directory also solved the problem of locating resources; which previously
relied on Network Neighborhood, and was slow. Managing users and groups were among other issues
Active Directory solved.
What is Active Directory?
Active Directory was built as a scalable, extensible directory ser vice that was designed to meet
corporate needs. A repository for storing user information, accounts, passwords, printers, computers,
network information and other data, Microsoft calls Active Directory a “namespace” where names can
be resolved.
ADS Benefits
ADS lets the MaxNAS easily integrate with the existing ADS in an office environment. This means the
MaxNAS is able to recognize your office users and passwords already on the ADS server, and allow the
network administrator to seamlessly control the MaxNAS as another network resource. This feature
significantly lowers the overhead of the system administrator. For example, corporate security policies
and user privileges on an ADS ser ver can be enforced automatically on the MaxNAS.
IMPORTANT: the MaxNAS respects active directory users and groups only for purposes of initial access. User ACLs
will only propagate for the writing account.
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C-Active Directory