Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. Windows Server operating systems include it as a set of processes and services. Originally, only centralized domain management used Active Directory.

Active Directory (AD) is a database and set of services that connect users with the network resources they need to get their work done. The database (or directory) contains critical information about your environment, including what users and computers there are and who’s allowed to do what.

Active Directory (AD) is a live directory run on a Microsoft Windows server that stores account login data and information administrators need to manage permissions and access to network resources.

Active Directory (AD) is a directory service for use in a Windows Server environment. It is a distributed, hierarchical database structure that shares infrastructure information for locating, securing, managing, and organizing computer and network resources including files, users, groups, peripherals and network devices.