Challenge
Prior to purchasing Adaxes, we were manually provisioning and de-provisioning Active Directory accounts. With several steps involved in each of these processes, we found several inconsistencies with how our various Network Technicians were executing this task. It was not uncommon for them to forget to delete the users home directory while de-provisioning a user account, leading to a shortage of drive space on our servers over-time. Also, while provisioning user accounts, often forgetting to place a user in a specific Active Directory group would lead to additional, preventable, support requests. We needed a way to better manage Active Directory and in some cases restrict access to various Active Directory Organization Units.
Solution
We were able to leverage Adaxes and streamline our Active Directory management tasks by automating our Active Directory daily house keeping tasks. We were able to allow non-technical staff to move users between Organizational Units while Adaxes worked it's magic in the background, making sure that the user was added to the correct Active Directory groups and migrating the users home directory to the local server, in the case of a user moving physical locations. We were also able to delegate specific tasks to on-site non-technical staff, allowing them to reset passwords, unlock accounts, etc... without needing to worry about the non-technical staff member damaging Active Directory. Adaxes also allowed us to automate our de-provisioning headache. We were able to standardize and streamline our process, deleting user home directories, disabling accounts for a specified period of time before permanently deleting them, also. This helps us keep our Active Directory environment clean and tidy. The built-in approval process also allows us to let our Desktop Technicians make Active Directory changes that would have normally been reserved for the Engineering Department. Our Technicians could make these changes and Adaxes, before executing the changes, will e-mail one of our Engineers to ask for approval. Upon approval by an Engineer, Adaxes will execute the requested task. This reduces the workload of all parties involved.
Benefits
I would estimate that we have reduced our Active Directory management time by roughly 30%-40%. Beyond the time saving aspect though, we are able to keep our Active Directory environment clean and manageable... and best of all, it's all automatic.
Raymond Medeiros
Network Engineer
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