An Active Directory forest is made up of multiple domain trees with unique name spaces, which means that the forest comprises several domain trees that do not have the same parent domain. In simple terms, a forest is a collection of one or more domains and all the objects contained within them.
The forest serves as the secure boundary of an AD DS environment, similar to domains in previous versions of Active Directory. Unlike other elements covered in this white paper, there are no explicit restrictions on the number of forests you can deploy.
Initially created for managing Windows domain networks, Active Directory (AD) is a directory service consisting of a collection of processes and services. AD evolved over time and now encompasses a variety of directory-based identity-related services.
A domain controller is a server responsible for authenticating and authorizing every user and computer in the AD DS role. It assigns and enforces security policies for every computer and installs or updates software.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is an Active Directory forest?
An Active Directory forest is a collection of one or more domains and all the objects contained within them. It serves as the secure boundary of an AD DS environment.
How many forests can I deploy?
There are no explicit restrictions on how many forests you can deploy in an AD DS environment.
What is a domain controller?
A domain controller is a server responsible for authenticating and authorizing every user and computer in the AD DS role. It assigns and enforces security policies for every computer and installs or updates software.
Conclusion
Understanding Active Directory forests and domain trees is essential to managing an AD DS environment. A forest is a container comprising one or more domains and all the objects it contains. The domain controller is responsible for enforcing security policies and authenticating users and computers. Deploying multiple forests is possible without explicit restrictions.
