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Active Directory migration best practices: What every IT admin should know

Written by ParvathyMigration4 min read

On this page
  • Five best practices for successful AD migration
  • Automate AD migration with ADManager Plus

Active Directory (AD) migration is a complex yet crucial task for organizations undergoing restructuring, mergers, acquisitions, or even any technological upgrades. Performing AD migration can feel like moving to a new home—exciting but daunting. You need the right strategy and the right AD migration tool as it involves the transfer of users, groups, computers, and applications. You could be performing Azure AD migration, moving from on-premises to the cloud, or just moving objects from one domain to another in your organization. Here are some best practices to help ensure that your AD migration goes smoothly.

Five best practices for successful AD migration

  • Have a clear, detailed plan

    Before you start migrating your AD, you need a plan that defines your goals clearly. Include all the factors that could affect the process and conduct a thorough assessment of your current AD environment. Identify:

    • The number of domains and trusts
    • Active users, groups, and OUs
    • Applications dependent on AD authentication
    • GPOs used in your organization

    Decide the order in which you want to migrate them and create a schedule for the migration to take place.

    Tip: To assess the various objects in your AD environment easily, consider using an Active Directory reporting tool to generate and export reports in your desired format.

  • Focus on AD security

    AD migration comes with many risks, such as data loss, downtime, or even security vulnerabilities. Conducting pilot migrations in a controlled environment can help you identify such potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them. Also, it is important to have a rollback plan. This should include the backup of your entire AD environment that can be easily restored if any issues arise.

  • Address compliance from the beginning of the process

    You can avoid any regulatory violations by understanding the compliance standards for your organization from the beginning of the AD migration process. Identify the standards that apply to your business, such as GDPR or HIPAA, and ensure that your migration plan aligns with those requirements. Conduct a compliance audit of the existing AD environments, identify any gaps, and mitigate these in your new AD setup.

  • Backup and test recovery

    Ensure that your existing AD environment is fully backed up before you initiate migration. This includes user accounts, groups, GPOs, and any other critical components. Test these backups, as well as your recovery plan, to ensure that it can be effectively restored in case of any unforeseen challenges or data loss.

  • Choose the right AD migration tool

    Choosing the right tool to perform your AD migration is essential for a smooth and efficient migration process. Look for solutions that suit your organization's requirements. The Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) is a free tool from Microsoft that can help with AD migrations. While ADMT is great for small-scale migrations, it relies on a slow and manual process that may not be efficient or scalable for larger organizations.

Automate AD migration with ADManager Plus

ManageEngine ADManager Plus is an identity governance and administration (IGA) tool that can effortlessly serve as an AD migration tool. You can easily migrate users, groups, contacts, and GPOs.

Why use ADManager Plus for migration:

  • Perform seamless migration: Migrate all the objects in your AD environment along with their OU details across domains and forests without affecting their permissions.
  • Prevent data loss: Avoid data loss by migrating objects along with their attributes.
  • Get comprehensive reports: Generate preconfigured detailed reports for pre-migration and post-migration requirements and ensure that all objects and resources are accurately migrated.
  • Backup and restore: Backup your AD environment and easily recover the same in case of any data loss during migration.
  • Avoid conflicts: Avoid naming conflicts by using customizable naming formats during AD migration.
  • Automate cleanup: Identify and clean up inactive users, redundant groups, and unused policies automatically before your AD migration.

With ADManager Plus, you can ensure a smooth and efficient AD migration while reducing manual effort and the risk of human errors. Take a 30-day free trial of our product or schedule a personalized demo with one of our product experts.

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AD migration best practices  Identity Risk Assessment  Become HIPAA compliant with ADManager Plus  Meet SOX compliance requirements with ADManager Plus   
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