# Active directory question



## bradpark22 (Jun 11, 2011)

Is there a big difference between active directory between server 03 and 08 or just a few changes?

thx


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## peterh40 (Apr 15, 2007)

Active Directory on Windows 2008 has a few new features:

* Supports granular account/password policies
* Supports Read Only Domain Controllers
* Restartable AD Domain services w/o having to reboot the server
* Mount snapshots of AD database using dsamain.exe tool
* Improved AD aduiting
* User interface changes esp dcpromo wizard, and mmcs

2008 R2 has more improvements:
* Recycle bin 
* Powershell support
* AD Admin Center
* AD Best Practice Analyzer
* AD Web Services


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## bradpark22 (Jun 11, 2011)

Thx Peter for helping me out. So the basics is still the same?


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## peterh40 (Apr 15, 2007)

Yes, very much.
If using Windows 7 or 2008 and AD Users and Computers it looks pretty much the same, with the addition of the Attribute Editor tab and Terminal Services tabs are now called Remote Desktop instead. 

Group Policies also now have Group Policy Preferences for even more control and could replace login scripts.


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