Active Directory and Entra ID Migration
Retiring a domain controller changes more than sign-in. NetSys finds the applications, devices and permissions that depend on your directory, then builds a migration plan with tested access and a clear handover.
The short answer
Active Directory migration services help a business change domains, consolidate directories or move appropriate identity workloads toward Microsoft Entra ID. NetSys inventories dependencies, designs the target identity model, pilots user and device changes, validates permissions and documents the operating handover. A move to Entra ID is assessed against the applications and infrastructure that still need traditional domain services.
A directory can be connected to file shares, Wi-Fi, VPN access, printers, service accounts, scheduled jobs and line-of-business applications. A successful test login does not establish that all of those dependencies have moved. We build a dependency register with a business owner, an authentication path and a migration decision for each important system.
Microsoft Entra ID and Windows Server Active Directory serve different roles. We work through whether your business needs a domain consolidation, a hybrid identity design, device and policy changes, or a cloud-first path with remaining legacy services. The design is based on your environment rather than an assumption that every domain controller can be removed.
Pilot identities, devices and applications together
The pilot includes representative people, devices, applications and restricted resources. We check first sign-in, remote access, application access, group membership and recovery. A staged schedule identifies which users move when, what must pass before the next wave and how to respond if a critical dependency fails. Source services are retired only after the agreed acceptance checks and retention requirements are met.
A directory migration with defined deliverables
Discovery and identity design
A map of the current environment and the proposed destination.
- Domains, tenants, sync, authentication and administrator ownership
- Applications, LDAP or Kerberos dependencies and service accounts
- Target model, exceptions and licensing or tool requirements
User, device and policy transition
Coordinate the changes a person experiences on their first working day.
- User and group mapping with access owners
- Device enrollment and Group Policy-to-Intune assessment where relevant
- Pilot support, staged migration and application validation
Acceptance and administrator handover
Evidence that the agreed business workflows still work.
- Successful and denied-access tests for representative roles
- Recovery arrangements and unresolved exception ownership
- Identity diagrams, operating notes and support handover
Keep business access at the center of the move
Share the domains and tenants involved, device count, critical applications and the reason for the move. We will identify the discovery work and first pilot.
Who does the work: meet the NetSys team on our About page.
- Migration decisions tied to named application and data owners
- User and device pilots before broad cutover
- A written boundary between project work and ongoing access administration
Which identity project are you planning?
These projects can share discovery work, but their execution and acceptance criteria differ.
| Scenario | Main decision | Example acceptance check |
|---|---|---|
| Domain or forest consolidation | Which identities and resources move, and what remains separate? | A migrated user reaches approved applications and files |
| Hybrid identity change | Which system remains authoritative and how is synchronization operated? | Expected account and group changes reach the right destination |
| Cloud-first Entra transition | Which legacy domain dependencies need replacement or retention? | Users, devices and business applications work without the retired dependency |
| Device and policy modernization | Which controls move to Intune and which need another approach? | A representative device receives required apps and controls |
What changes the cost and schedule?
User count is only one input. Multiple domains, legacy applications, unclear service-account ownership and device reprovisioning can matter more than headcount.
- Number of domains, tenants, users, groups and device types
- Applications with domain authentication or hard-coded account dependencies
- Current sync health, account duplication and permission cleanup
- Pilot coverage, allowed outage windows and rollback requirements
- Training, post-migration support and documentation needs
Active Directory and Entra ID Migration FAQs
Can we migrate Active Directory to Entra ID?
Often a business can move suitable identity and device workloads to Entra ID, but it is not a direct replacement for every AD feature. We first identify applications, file access, service accounts and policies that depend on domain services, then choose a supported design.
Can NetSys consolidate domains after an acquisition?
We can scope a domain and identity consolidation project. Discovery establishes ownership, trust and access boundaries, application dependencies and the business units that should remain separate before a migration plan is agreed.
Will employees keep their access and device profiles?
That is a design and testing requirement, not an automatic outcome. The plan specifies user mapping, device changes, profile handling, required permissions and a pilot acceptance process before a production wave.
Can you move Group Policy to Intune?
We assess which existing settings have suitable Intune equivalents, which are obsolete and which need another control. The agreed policies are tested on representative devices; the work is not a blind export and import of every setting.
What do we receive at the end?
The scoped handover includes the identity design, migration and validation record, known exceptions, recovery and administration notes, and named owners for continuing support. Ongoing identity management can be covered by a separate agreement.
Sources and technical references
Map the dependencies before changing the directory.
Tell us about your current domains, Microsoft tenant, devices and key applications. Include the change you are planning and your deadline so we can scope discovery and validation.