Professional labs

Active Directory Consulting

Empower your team with optimized Active Directory solutions.

Understanding Active Directory. Azure Active Directory

Active Directory Web Services (AD) is Microsoft’s primary identity management and directory service that enables centralized single-sign-on (SSO) for applications and services, supporting infrastructure components such as DNS, DHCP, IPsec, Wi-Fi, NPS, and VPN. On-premises AD DS installed on a server can be promoted to a domain controller for domain management with features including Group Policy, fine-grained password policy, Active Directory Admin Center, and more.

Azure Active Directory is Microsoft’s cloud-based Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) solution for identity, access management, and security. It allows users, groups, apps, and devices to be registered with Azure to enable SSO access to apps and Microsoft 365 accounts. With Azure AD Connect installed on-premises, local usernames and passwords can be synced up to Azure AD to support a hybrid network Active Directory, a solution often recommended by an Active Directory consultant.

For over 20 years, Professional Labs has provided expertise as an active directory expert for all Active Directory and AD DS releases. Our team has the knowledge and experience to design, deploy, and troubleshoot complex AD deployments across an enterprise, ensuring secure and efficient network management.

How Network Active Directory Streamlines Administration and Security

AD DS runs on domain controllers (DCs); organizations typically have multiple DCs with a directory copy for the entire domain. Any changes to the directory on one domain controller are replicated to the others to ensure all information stays current. A Global Catalog server is a DC that stores a complete copy of all objects in its domain directory and a partial copy of all objects in other domains in the forest.

Although desktops, laptops, and other Windows devices can be part of an Active Directory environment, they do not run AD DS. AD DS relies on several protocols and standards, including LDAP, Kerberos, and DNS. It’s important to note that Active Directory is only for on-premises Microsoft environments, and cloud-based Microsoft environments use Azure Active Directory instead. AD and Azure AD are separate but can work together to some extent in hybrid deployments where an organization has both on-premises and cloud-based IT environments.

Safeguard Your Enterprise with Azure Advanced Protection

  • Real-time security at enterprise scale: Leverage the power and scale of the cloud to safeguard against the increasing frequency, severity, and sophistication of security threats.
  • Quick threat detection: Azure Advanced Protection monitors the behavior of users, devices, and resources to detect anomalies in real time, helping you detect threats quickly.
  • Focused issue resolution: Stay focused on what’s important with a clear, efficient, and convenient feed that surfaces the right issues on a simple attack timeline. Azure Advanced Protection ensures that you can resolve issues quickly and with minimal disruption to your business.

Simplifying Administration and Enhancing Security with Active Directory

  • Centralized management: Active Directory consulting services simplify life for administrators by providing centralized user and rights management and control over computer and user configurations through the AD Group Policy feature.
  • Single sign-on: Users benefit from Active Directory’s single sign-on feature, which allows them to authenticate once and seamlessly access any resources in their authorized domain.
  • Collaboration: Files are stored in a central repository, allowing easier user collaboration and sharing.
  • Improved security: Active Directory enhances security for organizations by providing centralized control over user access and permissions and enforcing security policies across the network.
  • Business continuity: Active Directory helps ensure business continuity by backing up files properly and allowing for easy recovery during a disaster.

Efficiently Troubleshoot Active Directory Issues with Professional Lab

Active Directory is a crucial network component, controlling access to essential resources in your organization. Professional Labs can help identify vulnerabilities in your Active Directory structure that could lead to security breaches or poor end-user experiences. With Professional Labs’ Active Directory solutions, you can:

  • To ensure proper access control and security, generate reports on highly privileged groups, such as domain admins.
  • Monitor for AD replication errors that could impact the consistency and reliability of your Active Directory service.
  • Identify expensive LDAP queries that could slow down Active Directory performance.
  • Detect and troubleshoot DNS and name resolution problems to ensure smooth network operation.
  • Investigate poor Exchange performance that underlying Active Directory issues may cause.
  • By leveraging Professional Labs Active Directory monitoring capabilities, you can ensure that your network is secure, reliable, and performing optimally.

FAQ’s

Active Directory is a service that provides expert advice and guidance on the design, implementation, and management of Active Directory infrastructure. You may need Active Directory consulting to optimize your existing Active Directory environment, enhance security, or ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The benefits of Active Directory consulting include access to expert consultants, customized solutions tailored to your specific needs, optimization of your Active Directory infrastructure, improved security, and reduced administrative overhead.

Any organization that uses Microsoft-based IT infrastructure and relies on Active Directory for user authentication, access control, and directory services can benefit from AD consulting services. This includes small and medium-sized businesses, large enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions. AD Consulting can help organizations of any size and industry improve their AD environment’s security, performance, and scalability.

AD consulting services can vary depending on the specific needs of the organization. However, typical services may include AD design and planning, implementation and deployment, migration, security and compliance, performance optimization, and troubleshooting. The duration of an AD consulting project can also vary depending on the scope and complexity of the project. A simple implementation or migration project may take a few weeks, while a larger project that includes multiple domains or forests may take several months or longer.

An AD consultant should have a strong understanding of Microsoft Active Directory, including the latest features and best practices for implementation and management. They should also have experience with AD migration, security, compliance, and troubleshooting AD-related issues. Some specific qualifications an AD consultant may have to include Microsoft certifications, such as the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certification, experience with other Microsoft technologies, such as Exchange Server or Office 365, and experience with third-party AD management tools. Additionally, an AD consultant should have excellent communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with the organization’s IT staff and other stakeholders.