Genesis Technical Information

Genesis was designed with specific high-level goals in mind and utilises a range of built-in Windows platform technologies and languages to achieve them. Understanding these will answer many of the technical questions that are raised by Administrators learning about Genesis.

Genesis Is designed to allow customers to take full advantage of Microsoft Windows Infrastructure by implementing the best possible Active Directory quickly and reliably. The following information will help you see, at a glance, the foundation of the Genesis Architecture and implementation technology.

Core Design Principles of the Genesis Architecture

  • Utilise the Active Directory’s native capabilities to there fullest
  • Always use the standard Window mechanism if possible for all tasks
  • Communicate directly with the Active directory using LDAP
    • Do not go through 3rd party code or systems
  • ALL Metadata for Genesis is stored in the Active Directory to ensure maximum availability and appropriate redundancy

Genesis technical Overview


General Technical Information

  • The current version of Genesis is 2.6.
  • The Genesis Active Directory Tool is a program written in C# and requires .NET framework 2.0 for the server component (only required on the server on which Genesis is actually installed).
  • It communicates with the Active Directory via LDAP.
  • It uses the Identity of the currently logged on user.
    • Enterprise Admin will have access to all its capabilities
    • Domain Admin will have certain capabilities within their own domain.

Licensing

  • Licensing is granted for use in a named Forest for a maximum number of users. Each customer is issued with a unique digitally signed licence file.
  • Ongoing Genesis functionality (such as StartSec Password resets or the creation of new Admin-Centres) will cease if licence conditions are breached.
  • This will NEVER affect existing Structures or impair the standard Active Directory functionality in any way.

Libraries

  • Genesis utilises Windows native DLLs and libraries – there are no additional requirements beyond the .NET framework 2.0.
  • .NET framework 2.0 is required ONLY on Domain controller actually running Genesis
  • No installation or configuration is required on member servers and clients

Resilience

  • All configuration and metadata is stored in the Active Directory so that if the host server is lost then it can be installed on another server and continue working.
  • Genesis only needs to install on a single server (best on a Global Catalogue Server). The Structures created by Genesis are replicated by Active Directory in the normal way.

Encryption

  • Asymmetric encryption is used for all Licence validation functions.
  • Symmetric encryption is used for encapsulation of data stored in the Active Directory for use with Startsec (see later).

Templates

  • Templates are plain text files.
  • Genesis templates are XML format. If required, templates can be modified to suit specific organisational needs.
  • Templates exist for single and multiple domain configurations.
  • All templates are included in the initial installation as licensing is on a per user basis within the forest.

Supporting Tool

  • The application comes with tools for managing its own meta-data.

Other

  • Installation does not require a re-boot.
  • Footprint of the program is approximately 0.5MB (a 10MB “.msi” which includes documentation).
  • A Demo is available from Downloads. The demo will only run in a forest whose root name is ‘ul.demo’.
    • Time restricted licence files that will allow lab testing in forests with other names can be made available to prospective clients upon request.

Startsec (Client Component)

  • Written in C++
  • Runs on all member systems (non-DC) in the forest.
  • Propagates via a startup script in Group Policy and therefore requires no intervention for installation.
  • It manipulates the local SAM to complete the pattern of hierarchal authority and manage local account passwords.
  • Small footprint – 100K

Documentation

  • Full system documentation is installed with Genesis. Copies and updates can be downloaded from the website click here.
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