Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) role is a full-featured and easy-to-install deployment directory service.
What is the AD LDS instance:
AD LDS instance is a single running copy of AD LDS. Each AD LDS instance has a separate directory, create an instance assigned a unique name and a unique service description.
Following are some common characteristics of active directory and lightweight directory services.
-Active Directory Light Weight Directory also uses the schema, AD LDS use it own schema which you can modify easily.
-you can also have sites and replication in active directory lightweight services, all changes can also be replicated in AD LDS.
-you can also write the different applications for LDS.
Different between DS and AD LDS:
-ADS support multiple domain instances where as in active directory you have only one domain instance in a domain.
-LDS have own schema, you can make modification in that schema. Your programmer can write and test different Apps for LDS and can use schema..
-you don’t need a system restart after installation of ADS, while in AD you need reboot after installation.
Installation of AD LDS:
You need to install the ADS from Local Administator user..
Installation of LDS is very straight forward, go to server manager and click on add role. Follow the wizard and from server role option select the “Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services” click next and installation process will start and take some time to finish.
Create Domain Instance in LDS:
After installation ADS go to role click on Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services and click on “create AS ADS instance” a wizard will start click on next to start the wizard.
Since am creating the first instance in domain therefore I have selected the option “A unique instance”
Given the instance name
In ports select you can try the default ports but here am trying 22222 and 33333, you can also use any logical ports from 1025 to 65535.
Select the application directory option and in path provide the domain name in following format.
CN=com-name, dc=domain name, dc=com
Where CN is computer name and dc is representing the domain name.
In next step you need to define the data path and data recovery files path. I just select the default option and click next.
Select the Services Account Selection, I choose the default option.
In next step I choose all the files to import into AD ADS
After this setup wizard will take some time for installation and after installation you can find the Light Weight Directory services in server management.
To start using Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services you need a connection through ADSI-Edit to Lightweight Directory Services instance, for creating this connection open ADSI Edit and right click on it and then connect to Lightweight Directory Services instance.
