Forest tracks computers so it can notice host name changes and keep its record of ip addresses. It uses the following identifiers to recognise computers,
| 
   Computer Type  | 
  
  
   ForestSafe Identifier  | 
  
 
| 
   Windows Domain  | 
  
  
   Active Directory GUID  | 
  
 
| 
   Windows Workgroup  | 
  
  
   The computer SID  | 
  
 
| 
   Non Windows  | 
  
  
   The public machine key  | 
  
 
