Microsoft has released a new Active Directory data management tool in Windows Server 2008 R2, which is now called the Active Directory Administrative Center.

What follows is an initial look at the new Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC).

Disclaimer
The following is based on the Beta build of Windows Server 2008 R2. Therefore, it may change by the time RTM is released.

Background Information

• ADAC can be installed only on computers running the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. It cannot be installed on computers running an earlier version of Windows.
• ADAC is installed by default when the Active Directory Domain Services server role is installed.
• ADAC is included with the Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT).
• ADAC is available for the Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions.
• By default, ADAC is installed with the Active Directory PowerShell snap-in and the .NET Framework 3.5.1

Administrative Center Overview Page

When you first open ADAC, you will be presented with the Administrative Center Overview page.

On the left side of the Administrative Overview page, you will find your navigation nodes, which can be viewed in List View or Tree View.

On the right side of the Administrative Overview page, you will find three sections by default: Reset Password, Global Search, and Getting Started. These sections can be added or removed by using the Add Content drop-down in the top right corner of the Administrative Overview page.

Navigation Pane

As previously mentioned, the navigation nodes can be viewed in List View or Tree View. By default, the navigation nodes are shown in List View. To change to the tree view, simply click on the Tree View icon in the navigation pane.

Navigation Pane List View

The List View in the navigation pane is new to ADAC. The List View provides a number of new features and functionality. For example, you can browse through the various levels of your hierarchy by displaying all the children containers of a parent container:

The List View maintains a Most Recently Used (MRU) list, which automatically appears under a navigation node when you visit at least one container within this navigation node. As you can see in the image below, the TorontoUsers and Toronto OUs have automatically been populated into the MRU because I recently viewed these OUs in List View.

In List View, you can type a search string directly into the Find in this column field as you are browsing through your hierarchy.

Navigation Pane Tree View

The navigation pane Tree View is similar to what existed in Active Directory Users and Computers. The Tree View in ADAC does have some new features and capabilities over ADUC. For example, you perform a search directly in the container you have selected by typing your search criteria into the search field. Furthermore, the Tree View also uses a Tasks pane where you have links to common tasks, such as create, move, delete, rename, etc. The new Search capabilities and Tasks pane are covered below.

Reset Password

The Administrative Overview page includes a Reset Password section, which can be used to perform a quick password reset without have to browse the directory or find the user. You simply enter the username, new password, and desired account options, and hit Apply.

Global Search

The Administrative Overview page includes a Global Search tile, which allows you to perform a quick search in your hierarchy. Simply enter the search criteria into the Search field and click the search icon.

The Global Search will take you directly to the object.

You can also modify the scope options that are used for your Global Search. For example, you can select to set the scope to the Navigation Nodes or the Global Catalog.

The option to use Navigation Nodes as the search scope is particularly useful because ADAC now supports the ability to manage AD DS objects across multiple domains and forests, provided you 1) have the required credentials and 2) there is a one-way or two-trust in place.

Searching

The search capabilities in ADAC are far superior to ADUC. For example, in the List View and Tree View, you can select from a default set of criteria to use in your search query.

You can combine multiple sets of these default criteria to build complex queries.

You can save your as a View for future use.

Tasks Pane

ADAC now includes a task pane, similar to the Exchange Management Console.

The contents of the Tasks Pane is dependent on the object you have selected. Below are some examples of the Tasks Pane for different types of objects.

Breadcrumb Bar

ADAC includes a breadcrumb bar, which allows you to type in the DN of a container you want to go to, and you will be taken directly to that container.

New Object Property Page

The object property page in ADAC is significantly different than ADUC. For starters, the object property page consists of several property page sections and an inline preview feature:

The object property page allows you to control which property pages are displayed:

The object property page also allows you to collapse individual property pages:

The object property page also includes a tasks menu, which allows you to select from a list of common tasks:

Conclusion

The Active Directory Administrative Center is the first major revision to the Active Directory data management tools since the initial release of Active Directory. The version of ADAC that ships with Windows Server 2008 R2 has a number of new features, functionality, and a whole new look and feel. I touched on as many of these as I could, but you should really get your hands dirty with this new tool and have a feel for yourself.