Directory Services AD

Directory Services - Active Directory (AD)

Last Updated on Tuesday, July 14, 2009 at 5:02 AM

Active Directory (AD)

Customer: All School Districts, KDE
Description: AD is the directory service trademarked by Microsoft, and is a built-in part of the Windows Server architecture. A directory service stores information about network resources and makes these resources available to users and software that have the proper permissions or rights. With AD, security may be controlled, responsibility of objects and resources delegated, software rolled out and maintained, and user and group rights assignments maintained.

Customers using this service will realize the following benefits:

A single, consistent point of management for users, applications, and devices.
Simplified management and use of file and print services makinging network resources easier to find, configure, and use.
A central control of authentication information to manage security services for internal desktop users, and remote users.
Secure delegation of administrative functions to all levels of the district.
A single sign-on to network resources for users.
Automatic software distribution to users based on their role, reducing or eliminating multiple trips that system administrators need to make for software installation and configuration.
A statewide directory in place for all State agencies, the K-12 school system, and the community college system, as well as other organizations requesting participation.

Service Hours of Availability: This service is available to customers 24 x 7, excluding planned outages, maintenance windows and unavoidable events. Standard maintenance windows are defined as: 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. each Sunday. Maintenance windows are used only when needed for planned changes that have gone through the KDE Change Management Process. In addition to the Standard maintenance windows, site-specific and service-specific changes may be coordinated with customers at non-standard times.
Support Hours of Availability: Support for this service is available Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. For assistance, contact the KETS Service Desk.

Customer Responsibilities:

Submit requests for support by opening a Service Request with the KETS Service Desk (KETS Service Desk Web Page).
Notifying the KETS Service Desk when a new product requires a schema extension so the product can be installed and tested.