User authentication
Problems With Microsoft Active Directory
After all these years, Microsoft AD is still a challenge to manage. More than half of respondents experience issues with the domain (57%) and with the domain controller (52%). Just under half (48%) have had domain object issues.
Microsoft AD Testing Challenges
IT organizations approach Microsoft AD with trepidation. Two-thirds (66%) report they are hesitant to make application changes because of Microsoft AD testing issues.
Top Active Directory Concerns
IT organizations don’t have a lot of Microsoft AD control. Accidental changes top the list at 75%, followed by corruption of the system at 67%.
State of Active Directory Recovery Tools
Most organizations (73%) use the native AD tools supplied by Microsoft. But 63% also make use of custom scripts and 45% use third-party tools.
Active Directory Recovery Tool Quality
When it comes to AD, the quality of the tools matters. Only 7% report having a good experience with these tools. A full 46% say they are time-consuming or lack capabilities.
Level of Confidence in AD Recovery Tools
Almost one-quarter of respondents have doubts about AD recovery: 23% admit they lack confidence in their AD recovery tools.
Confidence in AD Recovery Plan
Microsoft AD is often the weakest link in any recovery plan. Less than half of customers (41%) think they have a robust Microsoft AD recovery plan.
Microsoft Active Directory Testing
Almost half are relying on hope more than planning. Only 55% report testing their Microsoft AD recovery plan at least once a year.
Reasons for Not Testing
Microsoft AD requires a lot of expertise. A full 65% of those who don’t regularly test say it is too hard (65%) or they don’t have the resources (64%).
Cost of Microsoft AD Downtime
Microsoft AD downtime gets expensive in a hurry. While 39% don’t know, 21% place the cost at $50,000 to $100,000 an hour.
Rise of the Virtual Lab
Virtualization creates a services opportunity for the channel. A full 80% say that a virtual lab would make it a lot easier to test Microsoft AD.