About CalNetAD

UC Berkeley has extended the CalNet System to include integration with Microsoft Windows Active Directory (AD), bringing CalNet services for single sign-on and directory information to Windows computers on campus. AD is Microsoft's implementation of a unified directory service and authentication system for Windows-based computers. In many ways AD is like CalNet itself, using many of the same technologies as CalNet to form a basis for the AD system. Because AD uses common standard technologies like LDAP3, DNS, and Kerberos 5, we are more easily able to integrate AD into the CalNet system and existing campus DNS infrastructure.

Joining the CalNetAD forest offers several advantages to system administrators and computer users. CalNetAD is already integrated with campus infrastructure for DNS and CalNet authentication. CalNetAD provides support for a single sign-on environment and improved security at the desktop level. If you join as an Organization Unit, your Active Directory information will be included in the centralized support for the hardware, security, and backup provided to the central domain controllers. Active Directory can also help system administrators with software distribution and easier control of Windows-based computers via Group Policy Objects.