The 5 Tips for a Successful Windows Active Directory Migration
Migrating from a Windows Active Directory (AD) to another environment is not an easy task. Because Active Directory provides critical authentication and authorization services throughout the IT ecosystem, the best active directory migration services must proceed successfully. Therefore, whatever the reason you are performing an active directory migration, you must become familiar with its method in advance to ensure a successful process.
5 Tips to Migrate Your Active Directory with the Most Success
There are many ways to migrate your Active Directory with the most success. However, the organization should migrate in a planned and systematic way. Planning is the key to migrating your ad with the most success. Therefore, it would be best if you had a plan of action and timeline to migrate your AD successfully.
#1 Plan and Document Path
The point is to have a clear vision of what you are trying to achieve and what the end state looks like. Hence it’s a good practice to document each segment of the future Active Directory migration. For example, the choice of the target directory. It includes decisions on whether or not the existing directories will be merged or moved to entirely new ones. To make the correct decision, it is crucial to consider aspects of the business, such as technical or legal requirements.
#2 Keep Discovery Process Clear
All directories are structurally similar with users and other components. However, it gets complex when some applications and services depend on Active Directory. Hence, avoid just migrating without having a transparent discovery of every possible component and possible risk. In the end, a successful migration means the users can continue using it without issues.
#3 Have a Strategy
Having a strategy makes it easier to follow steps to the final result. However, make room for flexibility as some parts of the process may require a different approach once the migration begins. Make sure to pay attention to all the process phases, such as planning, testing, initial migrations, speed, and validation.
#4 Understand Compliance Requirements
Understanding the organization’s compliance requirements allows you to integrate them into your Active Directory migration plan. Here included policies, procedures, and controls. This is especially important during company mergers. Finally, when documenting and designing strategies for meeting these requirements, make sure to have user experience in mind. The successful migration includes that users can continue to utilize everything without obstacles.
#5 Migrate Slowly, But Migrate
Although planning can help, there is always a risk when migrating the Active Directory of a big organization. Especially if its completion will not be ready for the next working day, a phased migration is a better solution to allow successful migration while allowing employees to do their jobs undisturbed.
Key Takeaways of Journey with Active Directory Migrations
As mentioned before, a successful migration requires a few steps and best practices before and after the migration process begin. So to summarize, pay attention, especially to understand the requirements of your environment.
Secondly, plan any potential issues that might arise during the migration process by creating a backup of your current Active Directory database. These steps will help avoid any possible errors during the migration process. If your organization does not have sufficient expertise in the area, it is best to consult an Active Directory migration company.
