Active Directory Migration Tool

Organizations have been using Active Directory for decades to securely manage their network, users, and data. But over the last few years, cloud computing has drastically transformed the way enterprises manage computer system resources, especially data storage (cloud storage) and computing power. Organizations migrate to cloud-based directories for enhanced security and accessibility. However, certain factors must be considered prior to active directory migration.

Migration from Active Directory to Azure Active Directory

Organizations today look for the benefits of cloud computing when they plan to move from on-premises Active Directory (AD) to Azure Active Directory (AAD). These benefits include:

• Centralized network management
• Single sign-on for different applications and devices
• User reporting
• Storage of credentials

Azure Active Directory migration means that:

• All the business applications used by an organization can be accessed through the web
• Data can be stored in applications like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams

Ways for Active Directory Migration

Microsoft offers different approaches for integrating On-premise Active Directory with Azure Active Directory, such as:

• Hybrid – Integration of AAD with on-premises AD using AAD Connect (most common)
• Cloud only – All devices, users, and applications are cloud-based (recommended)
• AAD Domain Services (AAD DS) – Extend AAD with Domain Controller as a service
• AD hosted in Azure – Hybrid mode where AD domain controllers are hosted in the Azure VM

Each approach has its pros and cons. However, the most recommended approach is the hybrid approach as it allows you to continue your on-premises infrastructure and also leverage modern services like single sign-on (SSO), Mobile Device Management (MDM), and Exchange Online.

Let’s now look at the types of migrations, i.e., complete migration and hybrid (partial) migration.

Complete Migration of Active Directory to Azure AD

Complete migration means your completely move your data from on-premises Active Directory to Azure Active Directory. This approach is less recommended because it requires more effort and time. Managing desktop policies in an on-premises environment is a bit different than it is in Azure Active Directory. If an organization manages very few services in Active Directory, then moving completely to Azure Active Directory can be a feasible option.

Hybrid Migration

Hybrid migration is the most recommended approach. With hybrid migration using Azure AD Hybris and AD Connect, you can maintain the functionality you are used to and get the best of both on-premises Active Directory and Azure Active Directory. You can get:

• Single sign-on on both on-premises and cloud resources
• Windows Hello PIN and password reset on the lock screen
• Enterprise State Roaming across Windows devices
• Conditional access through domain joins Intune / Endpoint Manager

The hybrid approach supports down-level devices running Windows 7 and 8.1. You can use Group Policy to manage device configurations. You can also use existing imaging solutions to deploy and configure devices.

Importance of Clean Groups in Migration

A disorganized directory can have tons of unnecessary data. Unnecessary or unused objects in Active Directory, such as disabled users and groups without members or owners, create clutter that can pose a security risk to the organization. A poorly managed Active Directory abounds with monitoring and operational challenges that can adversely affect the onboarding and offboarding of accounts and other processes.

It is important to clean your Active Directory before migrating to Azure Active Directory. You need to make sure that:

• Unnecessary accounts are deleted.
• Empty groups are deleted to avoid a group glut.
• Groups without an owner, are assigned owners.

Many tools are available on the market to manage Active Directory and keep it clean and organized. GroupID stands out amongst those tools as it manages your groups effectively and effortlessly. It automates group and user management and provides functions that assist in auto-cleaning your directory.

Let’s explore how GroupID manages to maintain a clean directory through its powerful features.

GroupID – A go-to tool to Clean your Groups

GroupID is an identity and access management solution that automates user, group, and entitlement management tasks in the directory, thus ensuring a secure environment. It also reduces the workload on IT administrators as it helps monitor groups, keeps them up to date, and identifies unwanted groups.

GroupID functions that streamline group management are:

• Group Expiration
• Group Usage Service
• Group Membership Lifecycle
• Group Attestation
• Smart Group Update Job
• Reports

Group Expiration

GroupID enables you to define Group Lifecycle settings for an identity store (directory). You can specify an expiry policy for groups, that determines the period for which a group remains active. When the period ends, the group expires and becomes inactive.

Based on these settings, the Group Lifecycle job auto-expires and then logically deletes groups from the directory on a scheduled basis, keeping your directory clean and preventing group glut. The Group Life Cycle job performs the following functions:

• Expires and logically deletes groups according to their respective expiry policies
• Sends notification emails to group owners before expiring a group
• Extends or reduces the life of mail-enabled distribution groups based on their usage

You can renew an expired group as well as reinstate a logically deleted group.

Group Usage Service

• Extend groups life if used in the last X days:Select this option and specify an X number of days if you never want to expire your active mail-enabled distribution groups. This setting indicates that if an expiring group is used in the last X number of days, the Group Lifecycle job will renew it by reapplying its expiry policy.
• Reduce groups life if not used for X days:Select this option and specify an X number of days if you want to reduce the life of mail-enabled distribution groups that have not received any email in the last X number of days.By default, this setting works for groups that are unused for 60 days since their creation, last renewal, or last usage. However, you can change the number of days anywhere from 1 to 360. The Group Lifecycle job will reduce the life of such groups to 7 days and send an email notification to the group owner, informing them of the approaching expiry.

With this feature, GroupID detects inactive groups and expires them, keeping your directory clean.

Group Membership Lifecycle

GroupID allows you to add and remove members from groups temporarily. For example, if you want to add external auditors to a group for two months, or contractual employees for a period of 12 months, you can simply specify their membership dates. GroupID’s Membership Lifecycle job auto-adds and removes them from membership on the specified dates. This is an effective alternative to adding and removing members manually on the exact dates. You can rest assured that unnecessary members are auto-removed from groups at the right time.

Moreover, using the GroupID Self-Service portal, managers, and peers can join and leave groups temporarily on behalf of other users. The Membership Lifecycle job adds/removes those users from group memberships on the specified dates. Users are notified by email when the job adds or removes them temporarily from a group’s membership. Group owners are also notified accordingly.

Group Attestation

Group attestation in GroupID imposes another check on groups to keep them up to date. It enforces group owners to review and validate the attributes and membership of expiring groups before renewing them. This helps identify unnecessary members in a group. A group expires when it is not attested and renewed by its owner.

While attesting a group, you (the owner) can:

• Update a few attributes, such as the group’s display name, expiration policy, security type, etc.
• Verify the group’s membership and inactivate unrequired members. Inactive members are removed from group membership instantly or after x number of days, depending on the settings done by the administrator.

Smart Group Update job

GroupID enables you to create two types of groups:

• Static (unmanaged) groups
• Dynamic groups (Smart Groups and Dynasties)

The Smart Group Update job in GroupID enables you to auto-update the memberships of Smart Groups and Dynasties. Each Smart Group and Dynasty has a user-defined query specified for it. When a Smart Group Update job runs, it updates group membership with records fetched by its respective query from the directory.

Let’s assume a Smart Group is created with Department set to “Marketing” in its query. GroupID maintains and updates the group’s membership with users whose department attribute is set to Marketing. Let’s say a user’s department changes to Sales. When the Smart Group Update job runs, it will execute the query, and the user whose department has changed will be removed immediately.

Like all scheduled jobs in GroupID, a Smart Group Update job runs on a set frequency (for example, daily) and at a specified time. You can specify the frequency according to your requirement.

Reports

The GroupID Reports module is a free reporting tool for running reports on Active Directory and Microsoft Exchange. Generating reports in GroupID makes the reporting process quick and easy. You must specify settings, such as the output format of the report, the source container or organizational unit to run the report on, the field to sort all records, and the display names for the fields in the report.

To manage groups, hundreds of report templates are available, enabling you to generate reports on:

• Groups with no members
• Group with no owners
• All unmanaged groups in the domain
• Groups and their last modified time
• Distribution lists with no delivery restrictions (Exchange)
• Owners and objects they own

For example, you want a report to identify groups that do not have owners. Simply run the “Groups with no owners” report.

Conclusion

With businesses preferring cloud computing to store their data, migrations from on-premises Active Directory to Azure Active Directory seem to pick up steam. Whether companies use the hybrid approach or completely switch to Azure Active Directory, a clean and up-to-date directory is a prerequisite for migration. Every organization has a huge number of groups and with continuous employee movements in the organization, it is necessary to update the groups in time. Manual updates take time and many times, groups go unnoticed. This can lead to a mess in the directory, which can eventually impede migration.

GroupID offers automated solutions through its modules that monitor every group in the directory. You do not have one but multiple features for managing and updating groups in the directory. With a clean directory, migration becomes smooth and secure.