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Category Archives: AD LDS

How to use Netmon to parse ADLDS/ADAM traffic when using ports other than 389

As you may know, ADLDS and ADAM use LDAP. By default, LDAP uses port 389. However, most companies configure ADLDS and ADAM to use a different port number. This is especially the case when you run multiple instances on a single server, since each requires a unique port number.

Netmon has the built in ability to parse LDAP traffic. However, it only does so for the default LDAP port number (389) out of the box. The AskDS Team blog has a post that explains how to configure Netmon to parse LDAP traffic when you’re using a port other than 389. The post can be read here.

The Active Directory Management Gateway Service is now Available for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a new server role, called Active Directory Web Services (ADWS), which is a prerequisite to use the Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell and the Active Directory Administrative Center. Until recently, you were unable to use the Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell and the Active Directory Administrative Center unless you were managing a Windows Server 2008 R2 machine. However, Microsoft released the Active Directory Management Gateway Service (ADWGS) in early June to extend this functionality to Windows Server 2008 SP1 (and later versions) and Windows Server 2003 SP2 (and later versions).

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Active Directory Database Mounting Tool (AD DS and AD LDS Snapshots)

Windows Server 2008 introduces a new feature that allows you to create and view snapshots of data that is stored in AD DS and AD LDS. The Active Directory database mounting tool (Dsamain.exe) was referred to as Snapshot Viewer and Active Directory data mining tool during the beta releases of Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft states that the Active Directory database mounting tool is useful to simplify the forest recovery process and to audit modified and deleted objects. These are two very useful reasons to learn more about the Active Directory mounting tool. What follows is a step-by-step on how to use the Active Directory database mounting tool.

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