Comparing ADAM to Active Directory

The following table illustrates the functional differences and similarities between ADAM and Active Directory.
Feature
|
ADAM
|
Active Directory
|
Supports multiple schemas per server
|
Yes
|
No
|
Supports multiple directory instances per server
|
Yes
|
No
|
Runs on Windows XP Professional
|
Yes
|
No
|
Runs on member servers
|
Yes
|
No
|
Supports X.500 naming for top-level directory partitions
|
Yes
|
No
|
Supports installing, starting, and stopping without a reboot
|
Yes
|
No
|
Group Policy
|
No
|
Yes
|
Global catalog
|
No
|
Yes
|
IntelliMirror® desktop management
|
No
|
Yes
|
Automated software distribution
|
No
|
Yes
|
Domain trusts and forest trusts
|
No
|
Yes
|
Public key infrastructure (PKI)/X.509
|
No
|
Yes
|
Supports DNS service (SRV) resource records
|
No
|
Yes
|
Supports Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) application programming interface (API)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) API
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports Messaging API (MAPI)
|
No
|
Yes
|
Delegated administration
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Multimaster replication
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
InetOrgPerson
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
LDAP over Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Attribute-level security
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
LDAP access control list (ACL) support
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Microsoft Identity Integration Server 2003 compatibility
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Extensible schema
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports application directory partitions
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports installation of a replica from media
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports 64-bit servers
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Supports concurrent LDAP binding
|
Yes
|
Yes
| UNIX Identity Management
Windows Server 2003 R2 provides Windows and UNIX integration with the following updated identity management solutions. These solutions help provide uninterrupted user access and efficient management of network resources across operating systems:
Server for NIS helps integrate Windows and UNIX-based Network Information Service (NIS) servers by enabling an Active Directory domain controller to act as a master NIS server for one or more NIS domains. Identity Management for UNIX includes an easy-to-use wizard that a Windows domain administrator can use to export NIS domain maps to Active Directory entries. Once this is done, an Active Directory domain controller running Server for NIS becomes the master server for the NIS domain.
Password Synchronization helps integrate Windows and UNIX servers by simplifying the process of maintaining secure passwords. With Password Synchronization, users do not need to maintain separate passwords for their Windows and UNIX accounts or remember to change the password in multiple locations. Password Synchronization automatically changes a user password on the UNIX network when the user changes his or her Windows password, and vice versa.
Identity Management for UNIX makes it easy to integrate computers running Windows into an existing UNIX enterprise. Active Directory network administrators can use Server for NIS to manage Network Information Service (NIS) domains, and Password Synchronization will automatically synchronize passwords between Windows and UNIX operating systems.
With minor differences, Identity Management for UNIX is compliant with Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard Request for Comments (RFC) 2307, meaning that a network's password and NIS attributes can be resolved by the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).
Password Synchronization supports Sun Solaris version 8 running on x86-based computers and Scalable Processor Architecture (SPARC)–based computers; Solaris version 9 running on SPARC–based computers; Hewlett Packard HP-UX version 11i; IBM AIX version 5L 5.2; and Red Hat Linux versions 8 and 9 running on x86-based computers and 64-bit AMD-based computers. Server for NIS should work with any operating system or product that uses LDAP.
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