Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is a Windows-based directory service used to centralize authentication and administration of Windows hosts.  OIT provides and maintains a single domain AD forest (WIN.DUKE.EDU) for department use, including supporting services such as DNS, WINS, Kerberos, and Time Synchronization. NetID accounts and NetID password changes are synchronized with WIN.DUKE.EDU. To synchronize your AD and NetID passwords, change your NetID password through the OIT account self-service tool.

The AD domain, WIN.DUKE.EDU, consists of four Windows 2008 domain controllers, running in full Windows 2008 functional mode.  Departments may request a fully delegated organizational unit to manage their groups, computers, and group policy objects. To request a fully delegated organizational unit (OU) for your department, please contact the OIT Service Desk.

Service and support information can be found on the WIN.DUKE.EDU Active Directory wiki space. Some of the sample information on the wiki includes:

  • Naming Standards
  • Functional Requirements
  • Service Updates Blog
There are two mailing lists for staying engaged with the WIN.DUKE.EDU community:
  • ad-discuss - G eneral AD discussion list where members are encouraged to post and respond amongst themselves
  • ad-announce - Announcements about service changes, maintenance, and more