08Jul2023
11Jul2022
Updated Migration Advice: Remove the last Exchange Server?
The last time I published articles on the topic of email migration was in the long, long ago: in the before time. Yes, before pandemics and novel coronaviruses, but also before we had the option to remove the last Exchange server. Some have asked me if I would change any...
01Nov2018
How to migrate from Windows Server Active Directory to Azure AD and Microsoft 365 Business (including Teams) in 5 easy steps
Microsoft 365 Business is a very compelling platform for the small business, particularly those that are "born in the cloud," or, those who have shed most of their on-premises server weight already, by moving their line of business apps to cloud-based alternatives. I can't tell you how many clients I...
05Apr2018
Meet Microsoft 365 Business: The new Small Business Server(less) Solution
I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. And I can't tell you how happy I am that it is finally here. Today we're going to talk about Microsoft 365 Business (not Office 365). Actually, I've been sitting on it for a while, because I wasn't sure if it...
08Jun2017
Soft (SMTP) vs. Hard (immutableID) matching with Azure AD Connect
If you are setting up Directory Synchronization from scratch (there are no users in the cloud yet), then Azure AD Connect will be pretty straightforward--the on-premises objects (and passwords if you choose that option) will be synchronized to the cloud, and you can assign services to the user accounts from...
25May2017
How to manage permissions with Active Directory (the right way)
How do most people use Active Directory groups to manage permissions? You probably already know the answer: Global security groups. For example, if there is a directory on the file server specifically for "Payroll," then we normally see folks creating a Global security group that corresponds to "Payroll," populating that...
06Apr2017
Warning: Domain Renames are Not Recommended (or Supported)
I have recently run into a couple of different scenarios wherein I've been asked to fix domain rename operations gone awry. After having worked through this process extensively twice now, I thought I'd post about my experience, in case this helps anyone else avoid the same troubles. To begin, you should know...
16Mar2017
Why You Should Avoid Single Label Domains
What is a Single Label Domain (SLD)? This is a term that Microsoft uses to describe domains which have only a single name, and no suffix such as ".local" or ".com." For example, your Active Directory domain might have a name like "company.local," but if it were Single Label, it might...
23Feb2017
Benefits to keeping an On-Premises Active Directory Domain
I have seen an alarming trend in the small business market--as more and more companies offload their IT infrastructure to cloud-based applications and services (which is great in many cases), many of them are also starting to abandon older tools and platforms such as on-premises Active Directory. This I cannot agree...
14Jul2016