Active Directory Replication Model

In Active Directory the directory tree represents all of the objects in a Windows 2000 forest, and this directory tree is partitioned in a way that allows it to be distributed to domain controllers in different domains within a forest. The Active Directory replication model encompasses the manner in which changes are propagated and tracked among domain controllers. Each domain controller in a forest stores a copy of specific parts of the directory. Each defined segment of the directory is called a directory partition . A copy of the contents of one directory partition on a specific domain controller is called a replica . Updates to replicas are synchronized among the domain controllers that store the same directory partitions during the process of replication.