AD Domain ServicesArchitecture & Design

DNS delegation architectures for multi-forest environments

October 3, 2025
Multi-forest Active Directory environments rarely fail because “DNS is down.” They fail because the DNS namespace was delegated without a clear model of authority, replication boundaries, referral behavior, and the operational ownership that follows. Delegation is not just about who answers a zone; it’s about where the “truth” of a name lives, how that truth is discovered from other…
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AD Domain ServicesAuthentication & Protocols

AD object indexing vs LDAP query optimization: choose the right lever for fast, reliable AD searches

October 3, 2025
Active Directory is brilliant at answering questions fast—until it isn’t. When helpdesk tools, HR syncs, or SIEM dashboards start firing dozens of searches per second, tiny inefficiencies compound. Queries time out. CPUs spike on domain controllers. Someone inevitably says, “Let’s just index that attribute.” Sometimes that’s right. Often, it’s hiding a bad query. Snapshot…
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Identity Protection & RiskMicrosoft Entra ID

Delegating OU permissions with minimal risk: the expert’s comparison guide

September 29, 2025
Short definition: Active Directory OU delegation is granting scoped, task-specific permissions on Organizational Units (OUs) to security groups—without domain-wide admin rights—so teams can safely manage only what they must. Why OU delegation matters now Modern AD estates are bigger, more hybrid, and more frequently touched by non-admins than ever. Help desks need to reset passwords…
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AD Domain ServicesDirectory Objects & Identity Data

Automate OU cleanup in AD with PowerShell (Expert Guide)

September 29, 2025
Automating OU cleanup in Active Directory with PowerShell: the expert’s comparison guide Active Directory · PowerShell automation Automating OU cleanup in Active Directory with PowerShell: the expert’s comparison guide A practical, production-oriented approach to discover, stage, delete, and prune—safely. Short definition for snippets: Automating OU cleanup means discovering…
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AD Domain ServicesDirectory Objects & Identity Data

Auditing Nested Group Memberships: An Expert Guide

September 29, 2025
Auditing nested group memberships for security risks: the expert’s comparison guide Reading time: ~14–18 min • Last updated: 2025-09-29 Nested groups are convenient, flexible, and dangerously opaque. This guide shows how to audit them properly in Active Directory and Microsoft Entra, with path-aware reporting, Windows event alerts, and Graph transitive queries. …
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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…
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AD Domain ServicesArchitecture & Design

Self-service password reset integration with AD

September 17, 2025
Self-Service Password Reset Integration with Active Directory (AD) Self-service password reset (SSPR) reduces helpdesk tickets, improves user productivity, and shortens recovery time during lockouts or forgotten passwords. The integration challenge is simple: users want one reset experience, while organizations still rely on on-premises Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)…
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