What are the features of Active Directory Services?

Windows Server 2012 R2

Protected Users Security Group

Authentication Policy and Authentication Policy Silos

Windows Server 2012

Virtualization safeguards and Virtualized domain controller cloning

Improved upgrade preparation and installation

Dynamic Access Control

DirectAccess Offline Domain Join

AD FS built in as a server role

Windows PowerShell History Viewer

Fine-grained passWord Policy UI

Active Directory Recycle Bin UI

Active Directory Replication and Topology Windows PowerShell cmdlets

Active Directory-based Activation

Group Managed Service Accounts

RID Improvements

Deferred Index Creation

Kerberos enhancements

Windows Server 2008 R2

Active Directory Recycle Bin (requires Windows Server 2008 R2 forest functional level)

Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell and Windows PowerShell cmdlets

Active Directory Best Practices Analyzer

Active Directory Web Services

Active Directory Administrative Center

Authentication mechanism assurance

Offline domain join

Managed Service Accounts

New logic for bridgehead server selection

Windows Server 2008

Auditing Improvements

Fine-grained passWord policies (requires Windows Server 2008 domain functional level)

Read-only domain controllers (requires Windows Server 2003 functional level)

Restartable Active Directory

AD database mounting tool

UI improvements

Owner rights

DFSR replication of SYSVOL (requires Windows Server 2008 domain functional level)

DSRM passWord sync

Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) rebranded as Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) and included in Windows Server 2008 as a server role.

Windows Server 2003

Multiple selection of user objects

Drag and drop functionality

Efficient search capabilities

Saved queries

New Active Directory command-line tools, such as adprep.exe

InetOrgPerson class

Application directory partitions

Ability to add additional domain controllers by using backup media

Universal group membership caching

Secure Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) traffic

Partial synchronization of the global catalog

Active Directory quotas