Appendix B. Migrations and upgrades
The fact that AD objects have a finite lifecycle has been a recurring theme throughout the book. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that your Active Directory has a lifecycle. When an Active Directory doesn’t meet your requirements, there are two things you can do:
- Migrate to a new AD structure
- Upgrade the existing AD
These topics could fill a book in their own right. This appendix is designed to give you an overview of the issues involved in migrations and upgrades.
Tip
Any migration or upgrade activity should be taken as an opportunity to clean up your Active Directory. Get rid of the old accounts, empty groups, and anything else you don’t need. It takes time upfront, but your job will be easier in the long run.
Let’s look at migrations first.
There are a number of reasons why an Active Directory may no longer be required, including