IT:AD:Active Directory:Domain Services
Summary
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is the cornerstone of every Windows domain network.
It stores information about members of the domain, including devices and users, verifies their credentials and defines their access rights.
The server (or the cluster of servers) running this service is called a domain controller.
A domain controller is contacted when a user logs into a device, access another device across the network or runs a line-of-business Metro-style app sideloaded into a device.