OU
/ˌoʊ-ˈjuː/
n. “A folder for organizing users and computers in Active Directory.”
OU, short for Organizational Unit, is a container within Active Directory used to organize users, groups, computers, and other OUs. It provides a hierarchical structure that helps administrators manage objects efficiently, delegate permissions, and apply GPOs (Group Policy Objects) selectively.
Key characteristics of an OU include:
DIT
/dɪt/
n. “The DNA of your directory.”
DIT, short for Directory Information Tree, is the hierarchical structure used by LDAP directories to organize and store entries. Think of it as a genealogical chart for network resources: users, groups, devices, organizational units, and other objects each occupy a branch, and every branch has a unique path. Each node in the tree is identified by a distinguished name (DN), which provides a globally unique address within the directory.