Chapter 14: Account Management

Overview

group n : an object created to represent a number of users in assigning rights and permissions

Account management is the process by which an administrator configures the network to allow users to access what they need and to prevent them from accessing what they shouldn’t. Sounds simple, right? Actually, it pretty much is. Each user is represented on the network by an object (their username) that has membership in one or more groups. An administrator assigns these group objects permissions to use other objects (files and printers, for example).

This chapter explains the first part of that process—the creation of the users and groups that enable you to identify and organize users on the network. Chapter 15, “File and Print Management,” then finishes the process by showing you how to give permissions to network resources. In this chapter, you will be introduced to the following topics:

• Structuring the Active Directory

• Types of groups

• Creating and configuring groups

• Creating and configuring user accounts