AD and Identity Management Roadmap

Many directory-related services and feature packs have been renamed and combined with the OS in Windows Server 2008. Shown here is a timeline of key Windows Server releases and the associated service updates and feature packs. The core OS directory service that runs on domain controllers, formerly called Active Directory (AD), will become Active Directory Domain Services. Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM), formerly a separate feature pack for creating application-specific directories, will be integrated into the server and called Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services. Active Directory Federation Services, which was introduced in Windows Server 2003 R2 and allows cross-organizational access to resources, will be a server role. Windows Certificate Services, a long-term Windows service, and Rights Management Services (introduced as a feature pack for Windows Server 2003), become AD Certificate Services and AD Rights Management Services respectively. Both ship with the server.