Active Directory Domain Service (AD DS)

What is the AD DS database?

How is the AD DS database organized?

The AD DS database is organized into partitions

AD DS information is stored within the directory database. Each directory partition, also called a naming context, contains objects of a particular replication scope and purpose.

• Domain. The domain partition contains all the objects stored in a domain, including users, groups, computers, and Group Policy containers.
• Configuration. The configuration partition contains objects that represent the logical structure of the forest, including information about domains, in addition to the physical topology, including sites, subnets, and services.
• Schema. The schema partition defines the object classes and their attributes for the entire directory.
• Application Partitions. You can use application partitions to limit replication of application-specific data to a subset of domain controllers. AD DS Active Directory–integrated Domain Name System (DNS) is a common example of an application that takes advantage of application partitions.