Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Security Handbook

The Logon Process

You will remember from your work with Windows NT that there are two types of logons within Windows 2000: interactive and remote. An interactive logon is the most typical and is used by the majority of people accessing a domain. It occurs when you first log onto a computer. This process verifies that you are who you say you are using your username and password. After performing your interactive logon, the authentication data is retained and used when you decide you need to access another machine on the network. You perform a remote logon authentication when you access this second machine on your network. This is also often called a network logon, and the two terms are used synonymously.

In Windows 2000, the logon process follows ...