Active Directory

What is Active Directory (AD)? It is a set of services running on network servers that provide a framework for things like authentication for your desktop computer, network-based storage services, and computer administration. At the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the central IT department, OIT, is providing Active Directory services to the entire Twin Cities campus. You can read more about it at the U of M's main AD page.

The College of Design is using Active Directory services today. It has not been deployed in all areas but it is scheduled to be by the beginning of the fall 2007 semester. The service will be available to all faculty, staff, and students.

What does this mean? When your computer is added to AD you will have access to storage spaces on the network which are also backed up so that your files are protected. It will also be easier to share files with fellow faculty and staff and for students to be able to work on class projects and submit their work to instructors. Students will, for the first time, have secure and reliable storage for their use which they have not had until now. This storage is available from any computer that is a part of the Active Directory system. It can also be accessed from your home computer with some relatively small changes.

The amount of storage available varies. Faculty and staff have up to 5 GB of space for their files that don't need to be shared with others. Each department also has additional space which can be used to store files to be shared internally and with other departments in the college. Students will also have up to 5 GB of space but will not have a shared space to use.

In the future Active Directory will make it possible for college IT staff to quickly and easily update installed software simultaneously for the entire college. That means even faster and better service for you.

Keep checking this site for more news and information about Active Directory.