What is the function of Active Directory in a network?

Active Directory plays a critical role in managing and organizing network resources within an organization. Its primary function is to provide a centralized location for storing information about all network resources, such as users, computers, groups, and printers. By utilizing a hierarchical structure, Active Directory allows administrators to efficiently manage permissions and access rights, ensuring that users can properly access the resources they need while maintaining security across the network.

Through Active Directory, administrators can create various organizational units to better segment and manage data. This organization enhances the ability to enforce policies, apply security settings, and delegate administrative control based on the specific needs of different departments or teams.

The other options, while relevant in different contexts, do not reflect the core purpose of Active Directory. Remote access, antivirus protocols, and backup scheduling are functionalities that can be facilitated in a networked environment but are not the primary purpose of Active Directory. Instead, those functions fall under different domains within IT management.