Which of the following is NOT a benefit of installing Active Directory on a Windows Server?

Installing Active Directory on a Windows Server provides numerous benefits centered around user management, authentication, and policy deployment. Centralized user management allows administrators to manage user accounts, groups, and permissions from a single interface, making it easier to control access to resources and streamline administrative tasks. Centralized authentication and authorization enhance security by ensuring that user credentials are verified in a standardized manner, contributing to a more secure network environment.

Deploying user and computer policies is another critical function of Active Directory. It enables administrators to enforce security settings and configurations across multiple systems, ensuring consistency and compliance with organizational policies.

Improved network performance, while desirable, is not a direct benefit of implementing Active Directory. Instead, the primary focus of Active Directory is on managing identities and access rather than optimizing the performance of the network itself. Thus, centralization in user management, authentication, and policy enforcement does not inherently lead to better network performance.