Domain Controller

A domain controller (DC, English for Range Control ) is a server for centralized authentication and authorization of users and computers in a computer network by Microsoft and was introduced with Windows NT.

In a network with a domain controller allows multiple computers with Windows NT ( and later versions ) are combined into a domain. In contrast to the groups of Windows 9x/ME can be defined centrally on the domain controller, which users can log in using the default password and user groups to which they belong. Changes apply to all computers that are members of the domain are.

In a short but succinct sentence is referred to as follows domain:

A domain is a local field of security with centralized management of resources and constitutes the administrative boundary

To enable failover if a domain controller fails, can and should be operated multiple domain controllers in a domain. In NT4 domain changes are only on the primary domain controller (PDC ) is possible. The Backup Domain Controller (BDC ) just keep a backup of the user and application data that are updated at regular intervals. In contrast, all have a writable copy of the 2000 per Active Directory database in which the user data is stored DC of a domain from Windows. The change of an attribute on one of the DC is replicated at regular intervals to all other DC. This means that all DC - apart from the operations master roles ( FSMO ) - on the same booth The failure of a DC is irrelevant to the Active Directory database, since no information is lost. But should fail, an operation master, the administrator the FSMO roles must as soon as possible to assign to one or more other DCs again to ensure the operation. The replication interval of DCs with each other can be selected by the administrator depending on the performance of the network used.

In addition to Microsoft Windows servers can use Samba and Samba -TNG server also act as domain controllers which are not based on an operating system from Microsoft, but to a certain extent to Microsoft domain controllers are compatible.

In Microsoft Windows Server 2008 in addition the concept of Read Only Domain Controller has been introduced.