Managing AD Replication
Active Directory uses a special database to support its operations. The database is a distributed, multi-master database with convergence—every DC in every domain stores this database in the file C:\Windows\NTDS\ntds.dit.
Every DC in any domain holds a complete copy of this database. If you add a new user or change a user’s office, that change occurs on just one DC (initially). AD replication makes the change in all database copies. In this way, the database remains consistent over time and across all DCs.
AD replication is based on partitions - a slice of the overall database. AD can replicate each partition separately. There are several partitions in AD:
- Schema partition holds the AD schema that defines each object that AD stores in the database. The schema also defines the properties of all these objects.
- Configuration partition - this holds the details of the structure of the domain.
- Domain partition - this partition, also known as the domain...
