1-17LESSON 3 IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS OF WORKGROUPS AND DOMAINSNOTE...

1-17Lesson 3 Identifying Characteristics of Workgroups and Domains

Note A workgroup can contain computers running a server operating system, such as Win-

dows Server 2003, as long as the server is not configured as a domain controller (in other

words, as long as no domain is present). In a workgroup, a computer running Windows Server

2003 is called a stand-alone server.

Because workgroups have decentralized administration and security, the following are

true:

■

A user must have a user account on a local computer if that user wants to log on

to that computer locally (that is, by sitting down at that computer).

■

Any changes to user accounts, such as changing a user’s password or adding a

new user account, must be made on each computer in the workgroup. If you for-

get to add a new user account to one of the computers in your workgroup, the

new user cannot log on to that computer and cannot access resources on it.

Workgroups provide the following advantages:

■

Workgroups do not require a domain controller to hold centralized security infor-

mation, making workgroups much simpler to configure and manage.

■

Workgroups are simple to design and implement. Workgroups do not require the

extensive planning and administration that a domain requires.

■

Workgroups provide a convenient networking environment for a limited number

of computers in close proximity. However, a workgroup becomes impractical in

environments with more than 10 computers.

How Domains Work

A domain is a logical grouping of network computers that share a central directory

database. (See Figure 1-5.) A directory database contains user accounts and security

information for the domain. This database, which is known as the directory, is the data-

base portion of Active Directory service—the Windows 2003 directory service.

In a domain, the directory resides on computers that are configured as domain control-

lers. A domain controller is a server that manages all security-related aspects of user

and domain interactions, centralizing security and administration.

!

Exam Tip You can designate only a computer running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or

Windows Server 2003 as a domain controller. If all computers on the network are running

Windows XP Professional, the only type of network available is a workgroup.