$image\DNTU-icons-ADRoot_shg.jpg$ Active Directory Overview

DameWare NT Utilities Active Directory administration tools simplify directory service administration and allows administrators to remotely manage multiple Active Directory sites directly from their workstation, without being physically logged into any domain.

DNTU’s Active Directory functionality is only supported on machines running Windows 2000 and above. However, even though it is not directly supported, many of DNTU’s Active Directory features will still work on machines running Windows NT4 SP-6a, provided you also installed Microsoft’s Active Directory Client Extensions (DSClient.exe) for Windows NT4. For more information about Microsoft’s Active Directory Client Extensions, please refer to Microsoft’s website.

Active Directory Client Extensions for Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4.0
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/server/evaluation/news/bulletins/adextension.asp

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Active Directory Support

DameWare NT Utilities v4.0 and above contains support for extended Active Directory Management – through the exclusive DameWare AD & Exchange Agent, which is automatically deployed from your PC to the DC or Exchange server that you wish to administer. You just click YES when asked if you wish to install the Agent and DameWare NT Utilities takes care of the rest! You can add a new user, create their home folders with the correct security settings, create an Exchange Mailbox for the user, and even add their picture – all from within DameWare NT Utilities.

Active Directory GPOs and OUs

You can manage your GPOs and OUs from within DameWare NT Utilities. Right click on the Active Directory site you would like to manage and browse your GPOs. You add, delete or edit them right away – without Remote Controlling your DC. You can also edit your Domain Account and Audit Policy from within DameWare NT Utilities.

Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 support

You can now administer your Exchange Mailboxes from within DameWare NT Utilities. Need to move a user’s mailbox to a different Exchange Server? Just find the user and right click it to move the mailbox – it is that simple!

You can even set quotas on the user’s mailbox and set delivery restrictions all from within DameWare NT Utilities.

Exchange functionality does not necessarily require the "DameWare AD & Exchange Agent." DNTU will automatically detect if the Microsoft Exchange Admin tools are installed locally, if DNTU finds them it will use them otherwise DNTU will attempt to install the new AD & Exchange Agent. For example, if DNTU is run on an AD Domain Controller running Exchange, then the Exchange interfaces are already installed and DNTU will detect & use them instead. This also pertains to a workstation running Microsoft's Exchange Admin Tools.

DNTU's enhanced Exchange functionality allows you to remotely "Mail Enable" Contacts & Groups, as well as Create, Move, & Delete mailboxes without being logged into the Domain. You can be outside of the Domain, provided you have the necessary Domain credentials to successfully perform the Exchange Admin functions.

For Example, an Administrator can be logged into Domain A, or even working from home over a VPN connection without being logged into any Domain. He can then use DNTU to perform Administrative tasks on Domain B, including Active Directory, Exchange, Event Logs, etc. without having to log into Domain B.

When you open DNTU's Active Directory Users & Computers section on a Domain Controller, the only way DNTU's Exchange Tasks (right-click context menu) will be enabled is if DNTU also detects that Exchange 2000 or greater is installed on this specific AD site. If this specific machine where you opened the Active Directory Users & Computers section is not your Exchange Server (i.e. you have another machine in your Domain that is running your Exchange Server), then you will need to right-click on DNTU's Active Directory section, then select Add Active Directory Site, then add the IP-Address of your Exchange Server. However, DNTU also requires that your Exchange Server also be running Active Directory. In other words, your Exchange Server must also be an Active Directory Domain Controller for this Domain. If you Exchange Server is not running AD (i.e. Domain Controller), then DNTU's Exchange Tasks menu will not function properly and you will receive an error.

If everything is setup correctly in your environment, then you should be able to right-click on an AD object (i.e. User, Group, Contact...) under AD Users & Computers (or in an OU), then select the Exchange Tasks context menu. Then selecting your desired Task (i.e. Create Mailbox, Move Mailbox, Delete Mailbox, Establish Email Addresses, Delete Email Addresses, or Update now). Or you can also access other Exchange settings via the Exchange General, Email-Addresses, or Exchange Advanced Tabs, on the User Properties GUI. Just make sure the "View Advanced Properties" setting is enabled.