A quick post on the possible schema version and functional levels introduced with the release of Windows Server 2012 RC.

The schema version of a Windows Server 2012 Release Candidate forest is 56 (was 52 in the Windows “8” Beta). For more information on Active Directory schema versions and how to read this information, consult the AD Schema Versions page here.

Also, the msDS-Behavior-Version attribute of Windows Server 2012 domain controllers is set to 5, which is the same number as the Windows “8” beta version number. For more information on Active Directory Functional Levels and how to read this information, consult the AD Functional Levels page here.