More migration tools: Microsoft

Last week, I waxed nostalgically about the companies that provided the tools many of us used to migrate from Windows NT servers to Windows 2000 servers. Evidently a little wax got into the printing presses, since the line that should have read “that does make it seem so very long ago” came out as “that does make it like sound a very long ago”. Maybe it was the waxing, maybe it was the tool used to migrate from my desk to your inbox (last used, I think, to translate the instructions for putting together my granddaughter’s crib!) but I do apologize if your sensibilities were jarred.

Also jarred were the sensibilities in the offices of a couple of friends of mine – Microsoft’s Jackson Shaw (chief cheerleader for Microsoft’s metadirectory products) and Aelita’s Carrie Reper (chief cheerleader for everything the Columbus, Ohio company does). Let me now relieve their anxieties.

Microsoft, of course, has migration tools of its own. But the migration tools included with the original shipment of Windows 2000 server were probably the best argument going for choosing third party services to get the job done. Even Microsoft used third party software for major migration products. But one thing you can say for the Redmondites is that they rarely rest on their laurels. When they don’t win any laurels then they rest even less. So I am pleased to say that Microsoft Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) Version 2.0 is a vastly improved service. Among the new features of Version 2 (and changes from Version 1) are:

* Scripting and command-line interface – Most ADMT operations can now be performed via a scriptable interface or a new command-line tool (ADMT.exe).

* Password Migration – Passwords can now be migrated for interforest user migrations.

* Migration Log Files – A single log file was used in ADMT v-1 to log migration results and issues. In ADMT v-2, a new log file is created for each new migration operation.

* Credentials Needed for Migration Operations – ADMT v-1 has a hard-coded check that verifies that the account that is running ADMT has administrative rights in both the source and the target domains. ADMTv-2 leaves this check to the operating system.

* Windows 2000 Attribute Exclusion – For interforest migrations, you can define a list of attributes to be excluded in a user, group or computer migration.

* Skip Membership Restoration – A “Fix Membership” option is included in the User and Group Migration Wizards in ADMT v-2. This improves performance when group membership reconstruction is not needed.

* Decommission Source Domains – During security translation, ADMT v-1 communicates with the source domain that is referenced on the access control list (ACL) of the object. If the source domain is already decommissioned, the security translation fails. ADMT v-2 stores all necessary information in a database so that security translations are successful even after source domains are decommissioned.

For many enterprises, especially those with Active Directory-savvy network managers, Microsoft’s ADMT could be all the tool you need to successfully migrate to an Active Directory based network, or simply to re-design your already-installed Active Directory system. Check all the details at https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&familyid=788975B1-5849-4707-9817-8C9773C25C6C and download this improved tool.

Come back next time, and we’ll see why Aelita’s tools deserve your consideration.