Executive Summary Report

Active Directory stores information about network components. It allows clients to find objects within its namespace. The term namespace (also known as console tree) refers to the area in which a network component can be located. For example, the table of contents of this book forms a namespace in which chapters can be resolved to page numbers. DNS is a namespace that resolves host names to IP addresses. Telephone books provide a namespace for resolving names to telephone numbers. Active Directory provides a namespace for resolving the names of network objects to the objects themselves. Active Directory can resolve a wide range of objects, including users, systems, and services on a network. Each object in an Active Directory has a name. These are not the names that you are accustomed to, like "Tony" or "Eric." They are LDAP distinguished names. LDAP distinguished names are complicated, but they allow any object within a directory to be identified uniquely regardless of its type.
The local users on the client’s computer will not be affected during domain join. They can still logon on the local machine.
Meanwhile, on domain controllers, during the Active Directory Installation, local accounts in the registry-based SAM database are migrated to Active Directory; the existing SAM is deleted; and a new, smaller registry-based SAM is created that is used for starting the domain controller in Directory Services Restore Mode for system repair.

You can assign profile paths in Active Directory Users and Computers… on the computer’s hard disk, users who access several computers will have a profile… For example, is a user logs on to three different workstation, the user could have three very different profiles on each system. As a result, the user may get confused about what network resources are available on a given system.
A workgroup is best understood as a peer-to-peer network. That is, each computer is sustainable on its own. It has its own user list, its own access control and its own resources. In order for a user to access resources on another workgroup computer, that exact user must be setup on the other computer.
In addition, workgroups offer little security outside of basic access control. Windows “share permissions” are very basic and do not offer any kind of granularity for “who” can access “what”, etc.
Workgroups are more than adequate, though, for most small business and home use.
A domain is a trusted group of computers that share security, access control and have data passed down from a centralized domain controller server or servers. Domain Controllers handle all aspects of granting users permission to login. They are the gatekeeper. In addition, most modern domains use Active Directory which allows and even more centralized point for software distribution, user management and computer controls.