Microsoft Active Directory directory services (renamed to Active Directory Domain Services with Windows Server 2008), provides central authentication and authorisation services for Windows based computers. Active Directory also allows administrators to assign policies, deploy software, and apply critical updates to an entire organisation.

Migration to Active Directory can take the form of migrating from Windows NT 4.0 domains, Windows 2000 Active Directory, Windows Server 2003 Active Directory (for example domain consolidation) and Novell NetWare (from 3.x bindery and 4.x, 5.x 6.x NetWare Directory Services (NDS)). Whichever scenario is required, various tools are available to aid in the migration such as the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT), Microsoft Services for NetWare (SFN) incorporating Directory Synchronization Services (MSDSS) and the File Migration Utility (FMU). Third party tools are also available such as the Quest Migration Suite for Active Directory.

The Microsoft Branch Office Infrastructure Solution (BOIS) guide presents design information to facilitate the definition and deployment of an efficient branch office infrastructure solution that provides a comprehensive set of core IT infrastructure services based on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Release 2 (R2).

See Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 for the latest deployment tool from Microsoft. The Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) is a best-practice set of guidance and tools to optimally deploy Microsoft Windows Vista and the Microsoft 2007 Office system. It enables organisations to reduce deployment time, effort, and cost by increasing the level of automation for workstation builds. It allows administrators to deploy desktops with Zero Touch and Lite Touch interaction at the target PCs. This solution also helps organisations move to a more managed environment with standardised desktop images which can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Delegation of administration is the transfer of administrative responsibility for a specific administrative task from a higher authority to a lower authority. From an operational perspective, delegation of administration involves a higher-level administrator conferring upon a lower-level administrator the authority to carry out a specific administrative task. From a technical perspective, delegation of administration involves a higher-level administrator granting a controlled set of permissions to a lower-level administrator in order to carry out a specific administrative task.

The Dell Remote Access Card (DRAC) is an interface card which provides out-of-band management. The card has its own processor, memory, battery, network connection, and access to the system bus. Key features include power management, virtual media access and remote console, all available through a supported web browser. This gives system administrators the ability to configure a machine as if they were sitting at the local terminal even if the machine is powered off. The DRAC can also integrate with Microsoft Active Directory to enhance the security of the machine in which it is installed.

Group Policy, introduced with Microsoft Windows 2000, enables IT administrators to automate centralised management of users and computers, simplifying administrative tasks and reducing IT costs. Administrators can efficiently implement security settings, enforce IT policies, and distribute software consistently across a given site, domain, or range of organizational units. Group Policy is a very powerful tool to both an IT administrator and the organisation and if implemented properly, can aid an organisation to dramatically reduce their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of both their server and desktop estate.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 is the latest version of Microsoft's deployment accelerator. It provides support for the deployment of Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP client operating systems as well as the Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 (including R2) server operating systems. MDT 2010 is a FREE tool available to any organisation of all sizes and can aid in the rapid deployment of the client and server estate.

The Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP) for Software Assurance is a set of five products bundled together: virtualization, asset management, diagnostics and recovery, group policy management, and error monitoring. Specifically on the group policy management aspect, MDOP now provides the Advanced Group Policy Management add-on which enables organisations to introduce offline editing of Group Policy Objects (GPOs), optional workflow process including approval of changes and role based delegation amongst GPO administrators.

Remote Installation Services (RIS) is an optional component that comes with Microsoft Windows Server 2003. It is used to create installation images of operating systems or of complete computer configurations, including desktop settings and applications. When using RIS, client computers remote boot using PXE (Pre-Boot eXecution Environment), commonly known as PXE boot. Also see Windows Deployment Services (WDS).

VBScript began as part of the Microsoft Windows Script Technologies, target at web developers, but over the years is toward the top of the list of tools most IT Administrators use. It provides an excellent way to automate jobs as part of the day-to-day running of a Windows environment and allows much more control over the older batch file methods.

Microsoft Windows Deployment Services (WDS) is the next version of Microsoft Remote Installation Services (RIS). WDS provides for the storage, management, and deployment of images. It uses PXE (Pre-Boot eXecution Environment), commonly known as the PXE boot, process to install the operating system, including bare-metal installations. WDS provides additional functionality enabling organisations to not only deploy workstations but to also deploy Microsoft Windows Server. With WDS an organisation can deploy Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008.

Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) enables organisations IT administrators to deploy the latest Microsoft product updates to computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. By using WSUS, administrators can fully manage the distribution of updates that are released through Microsoft Update to computers in their network.