Enable Active Directory Users and Computers

In this step-by-step guide, we will show you how to configure an audit policy setting for a domain controller to enable auditing of Active Directory objects. Auditing allows you to track specific events in your network, such as user activities and system-wide events.

To start, let's consider a scenario where you want to determine the use of either printers or files, or verify the use of unauthorized resources. You can also archive log files to track trends over time. To do this, you will need to configure an audit policy setting on your domain controller.

Configuring Audit Policy Setting

To enable auditing of Active Directory objects, follow these steps:

1. Open the Event Viewer on your Windows Server 2003 system.

2. In the Event Viewer, navigate to the Security log.

3. Right-click on the Security log and select Properties.

4. In the Audit Policy window, select the Object Access tab.

5. Check the boxes next to the events you want to audit, such as Logon/Logoff, Object Create, Object Delete, etc.

Once you have configured your audit policy setting, Windows Server 2003 will start writing events to the Security log on your domain controller. Each event in the Security log contains valuable information, including:

* The success or failure of the event

* The time that the event occurred

Understanding Audit Entries

An audit entry in the Security log contains the following information:

* The type of event that occurred (e.g. logon attempt)

* The user who performed the event

* The object being audited (e.g. file, printer)

For example, the Security log can maintain a record of both valid and invalid logon attempts, as well as events related to creating, opening, or deleting files or other objects.

Benefits of Auditing

Auditing provides several benefits, including:

* Enhanced security: By tracking specific events, you can identify potential security threats and take action to prevent them.

* Improved accountability: Auditing helps ensure that all user activities are tracked and accountable.

* Better system management: Auditing allows you to monitor system-wide events and track trends over time.

In this article, we have shown you how to configure an audit policy setting on a domain controller to enable auditing of Active Directory objects. By following these steps, you can start tracking specific events in your network and improve the security and accountability of your Windows Server 2003 system.

Enable active directory users and computers