"No matter if you're still "stuck" in Windows NT4.0 domains, fully deployed with Windows 2000 Active Directory (AD) or in a Windows 2000 deployment phase, this Windows Server 2003 probably has all you dream about. Windows Server 2003 Active Directory is much easier to deploy, and has features that increase flexibility during and after deployment. With reduced replication demands and easy integration into applications, you can today enable more applications to use the directory in more scenarios. In addition, Security comes into play at top priority in this release. And the biggest news - there's no requirement to re-design your Windows 2000 deployment to gain any of the advantages that it has to offer." - Yossi Saharon

Technical Overview of Windows Server 2003 Active Directory
This article introduces the major improvements and new features of the Active Directoryİ service. A central component of the Windows platform, Active Directory provides the means to manage the identities and relationships that make up network environments. The Windows Server 2003 family makes Active Directory easier to manage, easing migration and deployment

What's New in Active Directory
A central component of the Windows platform, the Active Directoryİ service provides the means to manage the identities and relationships that make up network environments. Discover new features, and improvements in this white paper.

Windows Server 2003 Trust Enhancements
Windows Server 2003 includes many enhancements in the fields on information security, with new ways to securely manage your organization's infrastructure. Managing trust relationships in Windows Server 2003 includes both improved and new features that you'll really love.

Introduction to Active Directory in Application Mode
This paper introduces Active Directory in Application Mode (AD/AM), one of the new capabilities that is part of Microsoft's fully integrated directory service available with Windows Server 2003. Source: Microsoft.com

Designing the Site Topology
A Microsoftİ Windows? .NET Active Directory? directory service site topology is a logical representation of your physical network and consists of sites, subnets, site links, and site link bridges. Designing an Active Directory site topology involves creating sites, subnets, site links, and site link bridges to ensure efficient routing of query and replication traffic. Source: Microsoft.com

Enabling Functional Levels
Windows .NET Active Directory functional levels facilitate the safe introduction of new features into your environment. Raising the functional level of a Windows .NET domain or forest enables you to introduce new feature functionality while at the same time limiting the versions of Windows that you can run on your system. Enabling functional levels involves identifying the operating system platforms and the Windows features that are critical to your environment

Multiple Forest Considerations
The goal of this paper is to present an overview of the effort and infrastructure that might be required to enable varying levels of collaboration among multiple forests that have domain controllers that are running Microsoftİ Windowsİ 2000 Server or Microsoftİ Windows? Server 2003 operating systems. This paper enumerates the scenarios in which a multiforest environment might be necessary or desirable and analyzes the consequences of such an environment on the total cost of ownership of the enterprise.

Planning Domain Controller Capacity
Prior to placing domain controllers in the assigned sites, you must determine the number of domain controllers that you require and the hardware requirements for each domain controller. Domain controller capacity planning helps you place the appropriate number of domain controllers in sites and estimate hardware requirements so you can minimize cost and maintain an effective service level for your users

Planning and Implementing Federated Forests in Windows Server 2003
When you use Microsoftİ Windows? Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; or Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, you can federate two Active Directory forests and leverage the existing authentication and authorization infrastructure in each forest. This white paper provides a technical reference for enterprise administrators and describes how to plan and implement multiple Windows Server 2003 forests and enable seamless authentication and authorization between the two forests

HOW TO: Add Users to the Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access Group in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325363 - This step-by-step article describes the Pre-Windows 2000 Compatible Access group, and how to add members to the group by using either of the following methods: The Active Directory Users and Computers snap-in The command line

HOW TO: Assign a Home Folder To a User
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816313 - This step-by-step article describes how to use the Active Directory Users and Computers management console, the Computer Management management console, a logon script, or the command line to assign a home folder to a user

HOW TO: Assign a Logon Script to a Profile for a Local User in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324803 - This article describes how to assign a logon script to a profile for a local user's account in Windows Server 2003. This logon script runs when a local user logs on locally to the computer

HOW TO: Audit Active Directory Objects in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 814595 - This step-by-step article describes how to use Windows Server 2003 auditing to track user activities and system-wide events in Active Directory.

HOW TO: Configure User and Group Access on an Intranet in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 326214 - This article describes how to configure user and group access on an intranet in Windows Server 2003. The World Wide Web (WWW) and File Transfer Protocol (FTP) services that are included with Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) are fully integrated with Windows Server 2003 user accounts and file access permissions.

HOW TO: Bypass DNS Name Resolution to Test SMTP Service Mail Flow in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816115 - This article describes how to create and configure a remote domain to forward e-mail messages to a smart host in Microsoft Windows Server 2003

HOW TO: Configure Windows Server 2003 to Function as a Router
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 323355 - This step-by-step article describes how to configure Windows Server 2003 as a router on your local area network (LAN).

HOW TO: Clear the Paging File When You Use the Sysprep Tool Before Imaging in the Windows Server 2003 Family
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 326210 - This article describes how to automate the removal of a paging file by using the Microsoft Sysprep tool before imaging Windows Server 2003 (to reduce the time to copy an image or reduce its total size).

HOW TO: Convert DNS Primary Server to Active Directory Integrated
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816101 - This article describes how to convert a primary DNS server to an Active Directory directory service Integrated Primary server, force replication to another domain controller, and add the new domain controller as a DNS server

How to Create a Template to Run the Recovery Console by Using a Remote Installation Service Server
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 316558 - This article describes how to create a template to run the Recovery Console by using a Remote Installation Service (RIS) server

HOW TO: Create an Active Directory Server in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324753 - This article describes how to install and configure a new Active Directory installation in a laboratory environment that includes Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory. Note that you will need two networked servers that are running Windows Server 2003 for this purpose in a laboratory environment.

HOW TO: Create a Custom Default User Profile in the Windows Server 2003 Family
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325364 - This article describes how to create a custom default user profile. A custom default user profile is useful if several people use the same computer but each user wants both a separate profile and access to shared resources

HOW TO: Create an External Trust in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816301 - This step-by-step article describes how to create an external trust in Windows Server 2003. An external trust is a non-transitive trust that is used to provide access to resources that are located either on a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 domain or an Active Directory domain that is located in a separate forest that is not joined by a forest trust. A non-transitive trust is a trust relationship that is restricted to two domains, and can be either a one-way or a two-way trust.

HOW TO: Create Domain Organizational Units in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325872 - This step-by-step article describes how to create organizational units in Windows Server 2003. Organizational units are Active Directory containers into which you can put users, groups, computers, and other organizational units

HOW TO: Create Organizational Units in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324743 - This article describes how to create organizational units (OUs) in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory. Organizational units are Active Directory containers into which you can put users, groups, computers, and other organizational units.

HOW TO: Enable Verbose Startup, Shutdown, Logon, and Logoff Status Messages in the Windows Server 2003 Family
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325376 - This article describes how to configure Windows so that you receive verbose startup, shutdown, logon, and logoff status messages. Verbose status messages may be helpful when you are troubleshooting slow startup, shutdown, logon, or logoff behavior

HOW TO: Establish Trusts with a Windows NT-Based Domain in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325874 - This step-by-step article describes how to establish a trust relationship between a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based domain and a Windows Server 2003-based domain.

HOW TO: Find and Clean Up Duplicate Security Identifiers with Ntdsutil in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816099 - This article describes how to check for and clean up or remove duplicate security identifiers (SIDs) in the SAM database. A unique SID identifies each security account such as users, groups, and computers

HOW TO: Install and Configure a DHCP Server in an Active Directory Domain in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 323360 - This step-by-step article describes how to build and configure a new Windows Server 2003-based Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server in a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory domain.

HOW TO: Install the Active Directory Administrative Tools to Windows XP Professional in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324745 - This step-by-step article describes how to install the Active Directory administrative tools to a Microsoft Windows XP Professional Workstation computer. With Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools (included on the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM), you can manage a server remotely from any computer that is running Windows XP Professional Workstation. Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools contain Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins, Active Directory administrative tools, and other tools that are used to manage computers that are running Windows Server 2003.

HOW TO: Install and Use RSoP in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 323276 - This article describes how to install the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) snap-in and how to use the RSoP tool. RSoP is an addition to Group Policy that makes policy implementation and troubleshooting easier.

HOW TO: Integrate DNS with an Existing DNS Infrastructure If Active Directory Is Enabled in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 323418 - This step-by-step article describes how to install and configure a new Windows Server 2003-based Domain Name Services (DNS) computer in an existing DNS server environment with Active Directory enabled

HOW TO: Manage the Active Directory Schema in Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 326310 - This article describes how to manage the Active Directory schema in a Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition environment. The Active Directory schema is the set of definitions that defines the kinds of objects and the types of information about these objects. These definitions are stored in Active Directory as objects so that Active Directory can manage the schema objects with the same object management operations that are used to manage the rest of the objects in Active Directory. There are two types of definitions in the schema: attributes and classes. Attributes and classes are also referred to as objects or metadata

HOW TO: Manage the Application Directory Partition and Replicas in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 322669 - This article describes how to use Ntdsutil.exe to manage the application directory partition. An application directory partition is a directory partition that is replicated only to specific domain controllers

HOW TO: Manage COM+ Partitions and Partition Sets in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324868 - This article describes how to manage COM+ partitions in a Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition environment or a Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition environment

HOW TO: Reset the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Account Password in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 322672 - This article describes how to reset the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) administrator password for any server in your domain without restarting the server in DSRM

HOW TO: Raise Domain and Forest Functional Levels in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 322692 - This article describes how to raise the domain and forest functional levels that are supported by Microsoft Windows Server 2003 domain controllers. Functional levels are an extension of the mixed/native mode concept introduced in Microsoft Windows 2000.

HOW TO: Remove and Reinstall TCP/IP on a Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325356 - This article describes how to remove and then reinstall TCP/IP on a Windows Server 2003 domain controller.

HOW TO: Rename a Windows 2003 Domain Controller
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 814589 - For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see This step-by-step article describes various methods to rename a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller

HOW TO: Set Up ADMT for a Windows NT 4.0-to-Windows Server 2003 Migration
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325851 - This article describes how to set up the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) to perform a migration from a Windows NT 4.0-based domain to a Windows Server 2003-based domain.

HOW TO: Troubleshoot the File Replication Service in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 327341 - This step-by-step article describes how to troubleshoot the File Replication service (FRS).

HOW TO: Use the Dcpromo.exe Tool to Remove Active Directory in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816108 - This step-by step article describes how to remove Active Directory from a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller by using the Dcpromo.exe tool. You can use the Dcpromo.exe tool on an existing domain controller to remove Active Directory

HOW TO: Use DsFind with Attributes that Require Distinguished Name Syntaxes
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 811509 - When you perform an advanced search, for some objects' attributes you must know the distinguished name (also known as DN) of the object that you are searching against. Every object is stored in the directory database according to its relative distinguished name (also known as RDN) and parent identifier. Therefore, if you know the relative distinguished name of an object, you can determine the full distinguished name by following the references to the parent objects and finally to the root object

HOW TO: Use the Directory Service Command-Line Tools to Manage Active Directory Objects in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 322684 - This article describes how to use the Directory Service command-line tools to perform administrative tasks for Active Directory in Windows Server 2003. The following tasks are broken down into task groups.

HOW TO: Use the Netdom.exe Utility to Rename a Computer in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325354 - This article describes how to use the Netdom.exe utility (included in Windows Server 2003 Support Tools) to rename a computer that is a member of a Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 domain

How to Verify an Active Directory Installation in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816106 - This step-by-step article describes how to verify an Active Directory installation. After you have performed an upgrade, you can verify the promotion of a server to a domain controller by verifying the following items

HOW TO: View and Transfer FSMO Roles in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 324801 - This article describes how to transfer Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles (also known as operations master roles) by using the Active Directory snap-in tools in Microsoft Management Console (MMC) in Windows Server 2003

HOW TO: Use Netdom.exe to Reset Machine Account Passwords of a Windows Server 2003 Domain Controller
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325850 - This step-by-step article describes how to use Netdom.exe to reset machine account passwords of a Windows Server 2003 domain controller.

HOW TO: Use Ntdsutil to Manage Active Directory Files from the Command Line in Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 816120 - For a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of this article, see This step-by-step article describes how to manage the Active Directory database file, Ntds.dit, from the command line.

HOW TO: Upgrade a Windows NT 4.0-Based PDC to a Windows Server 2003-Based Domain Controller
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 326209 - This step-by-step article describes how to upgrade a Windows NT 4.0-based primary domain controller (PDC) to a Windows Server 2003-based domain controller. The first step in the upgrade process is to upgrade the PDC to Windows Server 2003

How to Upgrade Windows 2000 Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2003
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 325379 - This article discusses how to upgrade Windows 2000 domain controllers to Windows Server 2003 and how to add new Windows Server 2003 domain controllers to Windows 2000 domains.

Upgrading to Windows Server 2003
This is a reprint of Chapter 14 from Active Directory, 2nd Edition (ISBN: 0-596-00466-4), published by OİReilly & Associates, Inc.. The first version of Active Directory with Windows 2000 was surprisingly stable and robust. Microsoft does not have the best track record for initial releases of products, but they must be commended for Windows 2000 Active Directory in terms of its feature rich-ness and reliability. Before we cover the upgrade process to Windows Server 2003, weİll first discuss some of the major new features in Windows Server 2003 and some of the functionality differences with Windows 2000. Based on this information, you should be able to prioritize the importance of how quickly you should start migrating. Source: Technet

From NT Domain to Server 2003 Active Directory
Finally, an NT Domain to AD upgrade without the pain. Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols discovers that with some prep work, administrators can expertly conquer an upgrade that once left scores of battered IT managers in its wake. Source: Swynk.com

How to Troubleshoot Missing SYSVOL and NETLOGON Shares on Windows Server 2003 Domain Controllers
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article: 327781 - This article describes how to troubleshoot missing SYSVOL and NETLOGON shares on Windows Server 2003 domain controllers.