I'm the sysadmin at a large school in the UK with around 450 devices, including Windows desktops, Chromebooks, Macs, and iPads. We're about to undergo significant changes with a new building and infrastructure, and an IT consultant has been assigned to guide us. However, I'm concerned about some of his claims: he insists we should move everything to the cloud now, that on-premise Active Directory (AD) is on its way out, and that schools won't need on-prem servers in just a few years. Currently, we operate about 30 VMs on Hyper-V for various services and rely heavily on our existing on-prem AD for everything from security to syncing with Google Workspace. I find it hard to believe that on-prem AD will be abandoned anytime soon, especially since our setup works smoothly and logins are quick. I'm also skeptical about the suggested 2-node Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) cluster, as it seems less effective than our existing Hyper-V configuration. Should I push back against these recommendations, or is the shift to cloud really that imminent? Is there a reliable future for on-prem AD and are the benefits of S2D as proposed?
5 Answers
From what I've seen, AD is definitely not going anywhere in the near future. I manage a couple of 2-node S2D clusters, and while manageable, they have their drawbacks. If you’re considering going fully cloud, you’d need to plan meticulously as it requires a significant paradigm shift. However, if you aren’t facing urgency, it makes sense to stick with what you have until a better alternative presents itself.
I've been working in UK schools for over 25 years, and I can tell you - steer clear of a 2-node S2D setup. It tends to lead to downtime when things start to collapse. Trust me on this; either go for a SAN or increase your nodes instead of settling on a cheaper, less reliable option. There's a tendency among some consultants to push for minimal investment without considering what's best in the long run. Plus, on-prem AD isn’t disappearing anytime soon, though it might eventually, but that’s not something you need to worry about right now.
You can’t simply eliminate Active Directory in your environment without completely wiping devices and re-enrolling under Entra. Transitioning to a cloud environment will take time, and you’ll need to sync identities and set up policies that mirror what you currently have. It’s not as easy as flipping a switch. Plus, many of your current systems have cloud alternatives that could free you from on-prem infrastructure, but it’s a gradual process.
It sounds like the consultant is focused on the cloud because that's where the trend is heading, but for an environment like a school, the stability of on-prem is crucial. Your workloads are predictable, which honestly makes the cloud less appealing. If internet issues arise, your entire AD system shouldn’t be at risk. For S2D, it's not recommended to go with just two nodes—Dell actually recommends at least three. You should seek alternatives that balance both on-premise and cloud effectively.
Your setup seems well-structured for the next few years. A hybrid cloud strategy might be your best bet, giving you the flexibility of both worlds without being tied completely to either. It helps manage costs, which is vital in a school environment. You can still keep local resources while exploring cloud options for the future as needed. It might be worth getting a second opinion from an expert who doesn't have a solely cloud-focused agenda.
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