Would you like to manage AD FS on Windows Server 2016, too? No problem!

Yesterday, I blogged on the entirely new Management Pack for Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server 2016. What I didn’t notice, until now, is that a management pack for Active Directory Federation Services is also available,   About the AD FS MP The Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) Management Pack provides both proactive … Continue reading "Would you like to manage AD FS on Windows Server 2016, too? No problem!"

An entirely new Management Pack for Active Directory on Windows Server 2016 is now available

When organizations embrace new versions of software in a structured way, they end up with checklists, much like the ones I wrote for Windows 7 and Windows 8. Migrating end-user device Operating Systems (OSs), however, is different to embracing a new version of the Windows Server Operating System (OS). From an information security point of … Continue reading "An entirely new Management Pack for Active Directory on Windows Server 2016 is now available"

Why the Azure Active Directory Windows PowerShell Module is good news

Last week, Microsoft announced a new preview version of the Azure Active Directory Windows PowerShell Module. This is good news! Let me tell you why.   About the Azure AD PowerShell Module Using the Azure Active Directory Windows PowerShell Module, Azure AD Admins can manage several aspects of Azure Active Directory for their organizations and/or … Continue reading "Why the Azure Active Directory Windows PowerShell Module is good news"

From the Field: The Case of the Unreanimatable Tombstone Objects

Troubleshooting stories from the field are the best. That’s why I like writing them down. Although, sometimes they might appear as straight cases of schadenfreude, I feel there are lessons to be learned for anyone, if you’re willing to look closely and listen carefully. Today, I saw someone stress over an ‘Oops!’ situation that occurred … Continue reading "From the Field: The Case of the Unreanimatable Tombstone Objects"

Active Directory Replication Status Tool without Operations Management Suite

After the version of the Active Directory Replication Status Tool, linked to in this blogpost, had also expired. (April 4), Microsoft has decided to re-release the original version of the Active Directory Replication Status Tool at the original link. (April 20) You can use the official Microsoft download for your on-premises Active Directory replication status … Continue reading "Active Directory Replication Status Tool without Operations Management Suite"

From the field: The Case of the Domain Controller that would not function after an Azure Site Recovery test failover

Last week, I was on route with Darryl van der Peijl, one of my colleagues and a Hyper-V Most Valuable Professional (MVP). We visited a customer that had some trouble with one of their Domain Controllers in combination with Azure Site Recovery (ASR): After a test failover, the Domain Controller would not function properly.   … Continue reading "From the field: The Case of the Domain Controller that would not function after an Azure Site Recovery test failover"

From the Field: the Case of the Active Directory trust without DNS Suffixes

Today has been one of those days, where I get to meet a new organization with a new intriguing issue, that no one has a solution for. The brief error description I got handed down read “They can’t get the Active Directory trust to work.”. Troubleshooting time!   The situation An organization that has been … Continue reading "From the Field: the Case of the Active Directory trust without DNS Suffixes"

Ten things you should know about Azure AD Connect and Azure AD Sync

Azure Active Directory powers Microsoft Online Services, ranging from Office 365 to Intune, in terms of identity. While this compels to organizations in a strong way, Microsoft even offers hybrid identity options to organizations running on-premises Windows Server Active Directory  to stretch their identity layer to the cloud. The tool from Microsoft to support its … Continue reading "Ten things you should know about Azure AD Connect and Azure AD Sync"

From the Field: the Case of the non-replicating Domain Controllers on Cisco UCS Blades

This morning I was asked to troubleshoot a situation where, in an environment with ten Active Directory Domain Controllers, two Domain Controllers would no longer replicate with each other. They would replicate with other Domain Controllers just fine, just not between themselves. I troubleshot the problem, and I am sharing my experience in case you … Continue reading "From the Field: the Case of the non-replicating Domain Controllers on Cisco UCS Blades"

Active Directory Domain Services Management Pack updated

While it has been a while since the Active Directory Domain Services Management Pack was updated, the team has now released an updated version with a crucial fix for Active Directory admins in my region of the world that has potentially been plaguing them for over a year.   About System Center Operations Manager With … Continue reading "Active Directory Domain Services Management Pack updated"