ntds.dit
In Windows Server 2011 it is called Active Directory.
Active Directory was previewed in 1999, released first with Windows 2000 Server edition, and revised to extend functionality and improve administration in Windows Server 2003. Additional improvements were made in Windows Server 2003 R2. Active Directory was refined further in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 and was renamed Active Directory Domain Services. Active Directory was called NTDS (NT Directory Service) in older Microsoft documents. This name can still be seen in some Active Directory binaries.
Active Directory Domain Services. in server 2008 AD work as a service
The following changes are available in Windows Server 2008 R2:Active Directory Recycle Bin Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell and Windows PowerShell™ cmdletsActive Directory Administrative CenterActive Directory Best Practices AnalyzerActive Directory Web ServicesAuthentication mechanism assuranceOffline domain joinManaged Service AccountsActive Directory Management PackBridgehead Server Selection
Active Directory Domains And Trusts console
The DNS Server Role and the active directory is not installed till the adds service is started on the server 2008.if the service is not started(one needs to check the option under roles of the server)the active directory installation wont happen.this feature is only in 2008 not in 2003.The active directory works as service in 2008
Active Directory
Go to run and type dcpromo and follow the steps
Restartable Active Directory
No, you do not. You only install Active Directory if the system is going to be a domain controller. If it is a member server or a standalone server Active Directory should not be installed.
OID, page 48 of the book we all have for this class, WIndows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration.
Raise the Domain Functional Level for 2008 server Applies To: Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 When you install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on a server running Windows Server 2008 R2, a set of basic Active Directory features is enabled by default. In addition to the basic Active Directory features on individual domain controllers, there are new domain-wide and forest-wide Active Directory features available when all domain controllers in a domain or forest are running Windows Server 2008 R2. For the new domain-wide features to be enabled, all domain controllers in the domain must be running Windows Server 2008 R2, and the domain functional level must be raised to Windows Server 2008 R2. Membership required: Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins To raise the domain functional level 1.Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts. To open Active Directory Domains and Trusts, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Domains and Trusts. 2.In the console tree, right-click the domain for which you want to raise functional level, and then click Raise Domain Functional Level. 3.In Select an available domain functional level, do one of the following: * To raise the domain functional level to Windows Server 2008, click Windows Server 2008, and then click Raise. * To raise the domain functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2, click Windows Server 2008 R2, and then click Raise. Caution Do not raise the domain functional level to a later version (such as Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2) if you have or will have any domain controllers running earlier versions of Windows Server. Important After you set the domain functional level to a certain value, you cannot roll back or lower the domain functional level, with one exception: when you raise the domain functional level to Windows Server 2008 R2 and if the forest functional level is Windows Server 2008 or lower, you have the option of rolling the domain functional level back to Windows Server 2008. You can lower the domain functional level only from Windows Server 2008 R2 to Windows Server 2008. If the domain functional level is set to Windows Server 2008 R2, it cannot be rolled back, for example, to Windows Server 2003.