AD Domain ServicesOperations & Troubleshooting

Active Directory Recycle Bin 

May 17, 2021
What is Active Directory Recycle Bin?  The Active Directory Recycle Bin feature allows administrators to restore deleted AD objects. In Active Directory, objects such as users, computers, groups, or organizational units may be unintentionally removed. Administrators may find it difficult to correct such mistakes. Therefore, for administrators to easily retrieve deleted objects, Microsoft…
Read more
GPO FundamentalsGroup Policy & Endpoint Policy

Automating inactive user account cleanup: beyond “run a script every 90 days”

September 19, 2025
A production-grade playbook for hybrid Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID (Azure AD) inactive user account cleanup: signals, staged actions, reversibility, and governance—backed by copy‑paste runbooks. On this page Quick definition Why the usual approach breaks First principles Production-ready technical core Implications & trade-offs Expert mental models Misunderstandings &amp…
Read more
AD Domain ServicesArchitecture & Design

Cleanup automation using Lepide/Netwrix insights

September 17, 2025
Cleanup Automation Using Lepide and Netwrix Insights “Cleanup” in Active Directory (and adjacent systems like file servers and M365) is rarely a one-time task. It’s an operating model: continuously detect what’s stale or risky, validate it, apply a controlled action, and prove you didn’t break anything. The easiest way to get this right is to turn audit and activity…
Read more
Microsoft Entra IDTenant & Directory Administration

FSMO placement strategies for hybrid and cloud scenarios

September 5, 2025
Active Directory • Hybrid architecture In hybrid identity, where some domain controllers live on‑premises and others in Azure, where you place AD’s five operations‑master roles decides authentication speed, change safety, and your failure blast radius. Quick definition: FSMO placement strategies for hybrid and cloud scenarios are the rules and patterns for hosting the Schema, Domain…
Read more
AD Domain ServicesArchitecture & Design

Active Directory 25-year evolution: what changed, what stayed true, and what comes next

September 5, 2025
Comparative guide AD modernization Hybrid identity Zero trust Kerberos Forest recovery Classic AD → Modernized AD → Hybrid future From castle-and-moat to zero trust and hybrid identity: the AD journey. Quick jump: definition · core mechanisms · classic vs modernized · modernization runbook · implications · mental models · misunderstandings & fixes · forward look · field…
Read more
Microsoft Entra IDTenant & Directory Administration

Best practices for managing groups in Azure AD

June 1, 2024
Azure Active Directory (AD) groups are pivotal in cloud identity and access management (IAM). They facilitate granting appropriate permissions to the right users for the required resources. However, effective group management is essential for maintaining security and a positive user experience within your Azure AD environment. This article outlines a series of best practices to ensure your Azure…
Read more