University of Chicago Active Directory
Global Catalog Server
A Global Catalog Server machine is a Domain Controller (DC) that contains a partial replica of every domain in the Active Directory. The global catalog holds a replica of every object in the Active Directory, but with a limited number of each object's attributes. The global catalog stores those attributes most frequently used in search operations (such as a user's first and last names) and those attributes required to locate a full replica of the object. It is not necessary in all cases for a machine to find a Global Catalog Server in order to log in. However, for Universal Groups and support for Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003, Global Catalog placement is important.
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Last updated: 6/6/07