Active Directory migrations, consolidations, and integrations within AWS environments

🔄 Active Directory Migrations to AWS

1. Common Migration Scenarios

• On-Prem AD to AWS Managed Microsoft AD (AWS MAD)
• On-Prem AD to Self-managed AD on EC2
• On-Prem AD to Hybrid (extend AD into AWS)

2. Migration Steps

A. Assessment & Planning

• Inventory current domain/forest structure
• Analyze DNS, GPOs, Sites and Services, FSMO roles
• Identify trusts, replication topology, and schema versions
• Use Azure AD Connect Health or AD Assessment tools (e.g., MAP Toolkit)

B. Prepare AWS Environment

• VPC with multiple Availability Zones (AD requires at least 2 subnets)
• AWS Direct Connect / VPN if hybrid
• Security groups and NACLs for LDAP, Kerberos, RPC, etc.
• Route 53 Resolver rules for DNS forwarding (from AWS to on-prem and vice versa)

C. Deploy AD in AWS

• Option 1: AWS Managed Microsoft AD
  • Fully managed by AWS
  • Multi-AZ deployment
  • Supports trust with on-prem domains
• Option 2: AD on EC2
  • Full control over domain controllers
  • Join to existing domain or promote new forest

D. Data Migration

• Use ADMT (Active Directory Migration Tool) or QMM (Quest Migration Manager) for:
  • Users
  • Groups
  • OUs
  • SIDHistory
• Migrate GPOs using GPMC or PowerShell (Backup-GPO, Import-GPO)
• DNS zone migration with dnscmd.exe or PowerShell

E. Testing and Validation

• Validate authentication, trust relationships
• Test DNS resolution
• Confirm GPO and replication functionality

F. FSMO Role Transfer & Cleanup

• Transfer FSMO roles if doing a full move
• Decommission old domain controllers carefully
• Validate SYSVOL replication and RID Master health

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🧩 Active Directory Consolidations

Use Cases

• Merging domains or forests post-M&A
• Simplifying management (flattening OU structure)
• Reducing licensing costs or infrastructure overhead

Tools & Strategies

• ADMT + SIDHistory: Migrate users while preserving access
• Forest Trusts: Interim step before merging
• Group Policy consolidation: Centralize and audit overlapping policies
• Consolidated UPN suffixes and DNS namespaces

AWS Tip: In a hybrid environment, consolidate on-prem domains into AWS Managed AD to centralize identity for EC2, RDS, FSx, WorkSpaces, and Amazon Connect.

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🌉 Active Directory Integration in AWS

1. AWS Services with Native AD Integration

• Amazon FSx for Windows File Server: Requires AD join
• Amazon RDS for SQL Server (Windows Authentication)
• Amazon WorkSpaces: Uses AD for user logins
• Amazon Connect: Uses AD for user federation
• SSO via AWS IAM Identity Center (formerly AWS SSO)

2. Identity Federation

• Use ADFS or AWS IAM Identity Center + AD Connector
• Supports SAML 2.0 for single sign-on into AWS Console
• Use Cases:
  • Conditional Access
  • Role-based access to AWS services
  • Identity lifecycle from AD to IAM roles

3. AWS AD Connector

• Lightweight proxy that connects on-prem AD to AWS services
• No need to replicate/migrate AD
• Used when you want:
  • AD-based auth for AWS WorkSpaces or RDS
  • Minimal AWS footprint

4. DNS Considerations

• Use Route 53 Resolver to forward DNS queries from VPC to on-prem AD DNS
• Bi-directional DNS forwarding recommended in hybrid setups

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🛡️ Security & Best Practices

• Use AWS Security Groups and NACLs to tightly control AD traffic
• Monitor AD using CloudWatch + AWS CloudTrail (if integrated via CloudWatch Agent)
• Enable AWS Config Rules to track compliance with directory-integrated services
• Implement Kerberos pre-authentication and auditing
• Regularly review IAM roles mapped to AD groups (especially in federated setups)

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⚙️ Automation & Scripting

• CloudFormation / Terraform for setting up AD-integrated AWS resources
• PowerShell (AWS Tools for Windows):
• Import-Module AWS.Tools.DirectoryService New-DSDirectory -Name "corp.example.com" -Password (ConvertTo-SecureString ...) -Size Small
• Automate AD Join for EC2 via:
  • EC2 Launch Templates
  • Systems Manager State Manager

📐 1. Active Directory Hybrid Architecture (On-Prem ↔ AWS MAD)

Diagram Overview

Use Case: Hybrid identity for FSx, RDS, WorkSpaces, and EC2

🗂️ Components:

• On-prem AD (2 DCs)
• AWS Managed Microsoft AD (Multi-AZ)
• Site-to-Site VPN or Direct Connect
• Route 53 Resolver DNS forwarding
• EC2 joined to domain
• AWS SSO integrated with AD