In Windows domains, which directory service is commonly associated with Kerberos authentication?

In Windows domains, which directory service is commonly associated with Kerberos authentication?

• A. Active Directory
• B. SAM database
• C. LDAP
• D. OAuth

Answer: (A)

In Windows domains, Kerberos authentication is delivered by the directory service that runs the domain, which is Active Directory. Active Directory provides the centralized store for user and computer accounts and, on domain controllers, acts as the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC). When a user or service requests access, AD issues Kerberos tickets that prove identity and grant access to resources based on those tickets and the associated Service Principal Names (SPNs) stored in AD. The SAM database, by contrast, handles local accounts on individual machines and isn’t the domain-wide Kerberos authority. LDAP is a protocol used to query and modify directory information, but the directory service responsible for Kerberos in a Windows domain is Active Directory. OAuth is unrelated to Kerberos in this context.

In Windows domains, Kerberos authentication is delivered by the directory service that runs the domain, which is Active Directory. Active Directory provides the centralized store for user and computer accounts and, on domain controllers, acts as the Kerberos Key Distribution Center (KDC). When a user or service requests access, AD issues Kerberos tickets that prove identity and grant access to resources based on those tickets and the associated Service Principal Names (SPNs) stored in AD.

The SAM database, by contrast, handles local accounts on individual machines and isn’t the domain-wide Kerberos authority. LDAP is a protocol used to query and modify directory information, but the directory service responsible for Kerberos in a Windows domain is Active Directory. OAuth is unrelated to Kerberos in this context.