Editing Active Directory (section)

==History==
Like many information-technology efforts, Active Directory originated out of a democratization of design using [[Request for Comments|Requests for Comments]] (RFCs). The [[Internet Engineering Task Force]] (IETF) oversees the RFC process and has accepted numerous RFCs initiated by widespread participants. For example, LDAP underpins Active Directory. Also, [[X.500]] directories and the [[Organizational Unit]] preceded the Active Directory concept that uses those methods. The LDAP concept began to emerge even before the founding of Microsoft in April 1975, with RFCs as early as 1971. RFCs contributing to LDAP include <nowiki>RFC 1823</nowiki> (on the LDAP API, August 1995),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Howes |first1=T. |last2=Smith |first2=M. |date=August 1995 |title=The LDAP Application Program Interface |url=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1823.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430164500/https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1823.txt |archive-date=2020-04-30 |access-date=2013-11-26 |website=The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)}}</ref> <nowiki>RFC 2307</nowiki>, <nowiki>RFC 3062</nowiki>, and <nowiki>RFC 4533</nowiki>.<ref>{{cite web |last=Howard |first=L. |date=March 1998 |title=An Approach for Using LDAP as a Network Information Service |url=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2307.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430164234/https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2307.txt |archive-date=30 April 2020 |access-date=26 November 2013 |website=Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Zeilenga |first=K. |date=February 2001 |title=LDAP Password Modify Extended Operation |url=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3062.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430194523/https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3062.txt |archive-date=30 April 2020 |access-date=26 November 2013 |website=The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Zeilenga |first1=K. |last2=Choi |first2=J.H. |date=June 2006 |title=The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) Content Synchronization Operation |url=http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4533.txt |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200430194756/https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4533.txt |archive-date=30 April 2020 |access-date=26 November 2013 |website=The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF)}}</ref>

Microsoft previewed Active Directory in 1999, released it first with [[Windows 2000]] Server edition, and revised it to extend functionality and improve administration in [[Windows Server 2003]]. Active Directory support was also added to Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 via patch, with some unsupported features.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Daniel Petri |date=January 8, 2009 |title=Active Directory Client (dsclient) for Win98/NT |url=https://petri.com/dsclient_for_win98_nt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=5 June 2003 |title=Dsclient.exe connects Windows 9x/NT PCs to Active Directory |url=https://www.techrepublic.com/article/dsclientexe-connects-windows-9x-nt-pcs-to-active-directory/}}</ref> Additional improvements came with subsequent versions of [[Windows Server]]. In [[Windows Server 2008]], Microsoft added further services to Active Directory, such as [[Active Directory Federation Services]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Guy |date=29 November 2000 |title=Windows Server 2008 - New Features |url=http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/Longhorn/longhorn_new_features.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902044655/https://www.computerperformance.co.uk/longhorn/longhorn-new-features/ |archive-date=2 September 2019 |access-date=30 April 2020 |website=ComputerPerformance.co.uk |publisher=Computer Performance Ltd}}</ref>  The part of the directory in charge of managing domains, which was a core part of the operating system,<ref name=":0" /> was renamed Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) and became a server role like others.<ref name=":1" /> "Active Directory" became the umbrella title of a broader range of directory-based services.<ref>{{Cite web |title=What's New in Active Directory in Windows Server |url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn268294.aspx |website=Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012 Tech Center |date=31 August 2016 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> According to Byron Hynes, everything related to identity was brought under Active Directory's banner.<ref name=":1" />