Active Directory (AD) is a software technology by Microsoft which provides a variety of network services including directory services, authentication, DNS-based naming and other network information. A device attached to a network can become part of its directory service. Windows ADS Authentication provides mutual authentication — both the user and the server verify each other’s identity. Having Windows ADS authentication support can be a time saving convenience as it may avoid the necessity to set up special user accounts for a newly connected device.
A directory service is a shared information infrastructure for locating, managing, administering, and organizing common items and network resources, which can include volumes, folders, files, printers, users, groups, devices, telephone numbers and other objects.
