Tools for Managing Active Directory

Tools for Managing Active Directory Functional Levels

Domain.msc: Active Directory Domains and Trusts
Dsa.msc: Active Directory Users and Computers
Adsiedit.exe: ADSI Edit
Ldp.exe: Ldp
Dcpromo.exe: Active Directory Installation Wizard

Domain.msc: Active Directory Domains and Trusts

Active Directory Domains and Trusts provides a graphical user interface that can be used to manage Active Directory forests, domains, and trusts. Specific to functional levels, this tool can be used for the following:

•	To view the current domain functional level by viewing the properties of the domain object.
•	To view the current forest functional level by viewing the properties of the Active Directory Domains and Trusts node.
•	To raise a domain functional level.
•	To raise a forest functional level.

Dsa.msc: Active Directory Users and Computers

Active Directory Users and Computers provides a graphical user interface that can be used to manage users and computers in Active Directory domains. Specific to functional levels, this tool can be used for the following:

•	To view the current domain functional level by viewing the properties of the domain object.
•	To raise a domain functional level.

Additionally, LDAP Query can be used in this tool for the following:

•	To identify domain controllers running Windows NT 4.0.
•	To connect to a domain.

Adsiedit.exe: ADSI Edit

This GUI tool is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that acts as a low-level editor for Active Directory. Network administrators can use Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) for common administrative tasks such as viewing, adding, deleting, and moving objects with a directory service. Attributes for each object viewed can be changed or deleted.

Ldp.exe: Ldp

Ldp is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool that can be used to perform Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) operations (such as connect, bind, search, modify, add, or delete) against any LDAP-compatible directory, such as Active Directory.

Dcpromo.exe: Active Directory Installation Wizard

The Active Directory Installation Wizard provides a graphical user interface for setting up a domain controller by installing Active Directory and, optionally, DNS. Specific to functional levels, the wizard can be used on a Windows NT 4.0 PDC when upgrading it to Windows Server 2003 and forming a new forest, to raise the forest functional level to Windows Server 2003 interim, if appropriate.

Post your questions, comments, feedbacks and suggestions

Contact a consultant