What is Active Directory?

Active Directory™ is the directory service included with Microsoft® Windows® 2000. It extends the features of previous Windows-based directory services and adds entirely new features. Active Directory is secure, distributed, partitioned, and replicated. It is designed to work well in any size installation, from a single server with a few hundred objects to thousands of servers and millions of objects. Active Directory adds many new features that make it easy to navigate and manage large amounts of information, generating savings for both administrators and end users.