# Active Directory | | **Active Directory** (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. Windows Server operating systems include it as a set of processes and services. Originally, only centralized domain management used Active Directory. However, it ultimately became an umbrella title for various directory-based identity-related services. | |-|-| | | wikipedia:: [Active Directory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Directory) | - [Microsoft Azure Active Directory - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Azure_Active_Directory)