Active Directory Administrative Center: Getting Started

In the Windows Server® 2003 and Windows Server 2008 operating systems, administrators could manage and publish information in their Active Directory® environments by using the Active Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. In Windows Server 2008 R2, in addition to using Active Directory Users and Computers, administrators can manage their directory service objects by using the new Active Directory Administrative Center.

Built on Windows PowerShell™ command-line interface technology, Active Directory Administrative Center provides network administrators with an enhanced Active Directory data management experience and a rich graphical user interface (GUI). Administrators can use Active Directory Administrative Center to perform common Active Directory object management tasks through both data-driven navigation and task-oriented navigation.

You can use Active Directory Administrative Center to perform the following Active Directory administrative tasks:

• Create new user accounts or manage existing user accounts
  
  
• Create new groups or manage existing groups
  
  
• Create new computer accounts or manage existing computer accounts
  
  
• Create new organizational units (OUs) and containers or manage existing OUs
  
  
• Connect to one or several domains or domain controllers in the same instance of Active Directory Administrative Center, and view or manage the directory information for those domains or domain controllers
  
  
• Filter Active Directory data by using query-building search
  
  

In addition, you can use the enhanced GUI to customize Active Directory Administrative Center to suite your particular directory service administering requirements. This can help improve your productivity and efficiency as you perform common Active Directory object management tasks.

In this guide

---

• Active Directory Administrative Center Overview
  
  
• Install Active Directory Administrative Center
  
  
• Manage Different Domains in Active Directory Administrative Center
  
  
• Customize the Active Directory Administrative Center Navigation Pane
  
  
• Customize Object Properties Pages in Active Directory Administrative Center
  
  
• Locate Active Directory Objects in Active Directory Administrative Center