Windows Active Directory
Welcome
Welcome to the Microsoft Windows Active Directory at Penn State. This site provides information about Active Directory, a service managed by Applied Information Technologies (AIT) of Consulting and Support Services (CSS), a unit of Information Technology Services (ITS).
Overview
ITS provides the Access Account Windows Active Directory Root domain for use within the entire University community so that colleges, departments, and academic units can leverage the current, open standards-based infrastructure AIT uses for core digital credential management. This provides maximum flexibility for all units, Microsoft dependent or not, providing for unified authentication and authorization. AIT offers this service so that Penn State organizations may leverage our core authentication (Kerberos 5) and authorization (LDAP) services for account management.
Our goal in providing these Active Directory services to Penn State colleges, departments, and academic units (referred to as units herein) is to provide the University community with maximum flexibility and control over their own Microsoft Active Directory infrastructures. Implementations such as account management in the OUs or Child Domains, group policies written and applied by the organization, and any technology that will not have an affect outside of a organization's scope, are up to the discretion of that unit. The intention of Penn State's ACCESS.PSU.EDU deployment plan is to create a stable infrastructure based on supported Microsoft technologies, to promote autonomy among different Penn State units (either as Child Domains or Organizational Units (OUs) in the ACCESS Forest).
If you would like to begin working with Active Directory, please visit Getting Started. Take a look at our Forest Design documentation if you would like more information about our deployment of Microsoft Active Directory.
Resources
Tools and sources of information for administrators in ACCESS.PSU.EDU.
- Script Repository - Precreate Computer Accounts, Bulk add users to a Group....
- Registry Files - PSU KDCs setup
- Presentations - Network of People presentations, WIN-AD Town Meeting presentations
- Links - Helpful sites on the web pertaining to our own deployment of Active Directory services to Penn State.
- More resources
Windows Software Update Service
The Windows SUS at Penn State provides a means for safe installation of critical updates for Windows machines on Penn State networks. NOTE: This service is not intended to replace Microsoft's update service. The Penn State version of this service retrieves and installs critical updates only. You are responsible for keeping your machine up-to-date as the Windows SUS at Penn State will not update any Microsoft software deemed as non-critical. For other updates please visit windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
Contact Information
Questions, comments, and requests for assistance may be directed to the Windows Active Directory Team at win-ad@aset.psu.edu.
