And experts say that the training time needed to grow that kind of expertise is going to be significant. Mass. Learning curve Even for NT-savvy support staffers, Windows 2000 will represent a big learning curve. Active Directory is such a departure from the normal way we're doing business, it'll be very difficult. N.C. Mummert's group has been evaluating Windows 2000 since Beta 1 was released last year. Active Directory will require a new set of skills because it will replace flat domain structures with a relational, multidimensional database, he said.
Relational databases allow entry to data from multiple points.
This ability to centralize directory information will mean tremendous savings for most organizations. That's because, today, they waste effort maintaining domain data in multiple silos of information. But the new directory will require new skills. It's a whole new piece of professional development that a technical manager has to bring into their skill set. You have to understand how particular links are made in one table in a database to another.