Identity management is a critical part of an enterprise network and Active Directory is the foundation for user and group management and security in a Windows environment.

Group Policy is a major part of Active Directory and the key to providing consistent and secure Windows account configuration, whereas Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) allows workstations, servers, and applications to establish trust within an Active Directory forest by verifying identity and encrypting  communications.

In complex environments where data is often shared across organizations and domains and the need to verify user identity across boundaries exists, Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) provides a single sign-on solution for Windows-based networks that need to access external applications or share resources with business partners.