Windows Server Management

Active Directory (AD) is one of the most important parts of Windows Server, and potentially of an IT professional's role, and yet it is one that is often not fully utilized. If you are not using AD properly, your business suffers: it may be creating unnecessary hindrances to network access for people who work for you, or it may simply mean that your organization is not performing at capacity. Discover how AD ensures compliance and risk control and, and learn how to prepare AD for the cloud.

Optimize Your Journey to Azure AD

For IT managers under pressure to improve security while streamlining costs and resources, the decision to adopt cloud-based applications such as Office 365 is easy. Unfortunately, the transition from on-premises Active Directory to cloud-based Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) or a hybrid solution may not be as easy as it would seem. Even those already operating in the cloud could benefit by optimizing their environments. Continue Reading

Is Your Active Directory Cloud Ready?

Many companies today are considering a move to the cloud. Organizations may believe that a hosted service, such as Office 365, will be easier and or cheaper to maintain than on-prem email. Also, Microsoft and other industry leaders may have influenced a move. Whatever the reason, moving to the cloud isn’t as easy as it appears and results are often mixed if you haven’t adequately prepared your Active Directory. Continue Reading

Examining the Active Directory’s Role in Governance, Risk, and Compliance

When it comes to governance and compliance, much of the IT staff’s effort is often focused on individual systems. Administrators work meticulously to ensure that mail servers, file servers, database servers, and other resources adhere to both internal security standards and regulatory requirements. The one thing that each of these systems has in common however, is its reliance on Active Directory. First introduced in 2000 as a replacement to the Windows NT domain structure, Active Directory was originally designed to manage network resources. Now, Active Directory works as a centralized authentication and access control mechanism, and consequently plays a vital role in the organization’s overall security. Continue Reading