To abolish the limitation, Active Directory will now maintain meta-data on individual members of a group instead of just the entire membership. Previously, when an individual's data was changed, the entire group's data had to be updated as well. Now, the individual's data can be changed separately. Reducing the amount of data that needs to be updated allows Microsoft to eliminate group size restrictions. The new meta-data also is being used to reduce replication headaches.
Users can now replicate individual changes without having to replicate the entire group list.
The capability should take pressure off WAN links and allow enterprise users more options for deploying Active Directory in a distributed environment. Another benefit of the new fine-tuned controls is the ability to ensure the integrity of directory data. Users can now make changes in single values of multi-valued attributes and replicate just that value. Microsoft also is dropping the requirement that users always log on through a global catalog. The issue affects users in branch offices who have to cross WAN links in order to use the catalog to sign on to corporate networks.