Active Directory simplifies resource location by allowing files and print resources to be published on the network. Publishing an object allows users to securely access network resources by searching the Active Directory database for the desired resource.
This search can be based on the resource’s name, description, or location. For example, a shared folder can be found by clicking the appropriate search button using Network in Windows 10 or Microsoft Windows Server 2012.
A user can configure the search scope. The shared folder name and keyword do not need to be search criteria. Providing more search information creates more specific results. For example, if you have configured the word “accounting” as a keyword for 100 folders, a search for the keyword will return 100 results that a user would need to sort through to find the desired folder.
Imagine you are a user in a 10 server environment, where every server has a different set of resources that you need to do your job. If you were in this situation, identifying which server provides each resource would not be an easy task. This is even more complicated when you have mobile users, such as an employee visiting from another site who needs to locate printers and other devices to become productive at the new site.