Child Domain and Tree Domain

In Active Directory, "child domain" and "tree domain" are related concepts within a hierarchical structure.

Here's a breakdown:

Tree Domain

• Foundation: A tree domain is the root domain at the top of a hierarchical structure.

• Parent Domain: It's the parent domain for all child domains within that tree.

• Trust Relationships: By default, all domains within a tree have two-way, transitive trust relationships. This means users in one domain can access resources in other domains within the same tree without needing to reauthenticate.

Child Domain

• Subdomain: A child domain is a domain that exists below the root domain (tree domain) in the hierarchy.

• Relationship: Child domains inherit their namespace from the parent (tree) domain. For example, if the tree domain is "example.com," a child domain might be "[invalid URL removed]".

• Trust: Child domains automatically inherit trust relationships with the parent domain and other child domains within the same tree.

Analogy

• Tree Domain: The "root" of the family tree - the ancestor from whom all others descend.

• Child Domain: Children, grandchildren, and further descendants in the family tree.

Key Points:

• Hierarchical Structure: Tree domains and child domains create a hierarchical structure for managing users, computers, and resources within an Active Directory environment.

• Simplified Management: This hierarchy simplifies administration by providing a logical way to organize and delegate administrative control.

• Trust Relationships: The default trust relationships within a tree facilitate resource sharing and user access across different domains.