I'm currently working at a small organization that has a mix of office sizes, ranging from 30 to 100 employees per office. We still maintain on-premises Active Directory (AD) domain controllers in our larger locations, alongside some virtual DCs in the cloud. Our setup involves syncing with Entra for services like Exchange Online, M365 authentication, and licensing. Most of our devices are joined to the AD, and we rely on traditional group policies and local Windows file servers.
Now, I'm planning to shift toward a "cloud-first" approach using Entra, Intune, and Autopilot, with the first trial groups starting this year. However, I often hear from friends and former colleagues that they're already on a cloud-first or even cloud-only model with Microsoft products. I'm curious about how prevalent on-prem AD still is. Are we lagging behind in this regard? I've found it challenging to get concrete statistics on this topic.
5 Answers
For many businesses, especially in the SMB space, hybrid setups are just part of the norm. It's really a matter of evaluating your application needs—cloud can be great, but not all applications are compatible yet, especially in the legacy territory.
Yeah, if you're not running into major issues or bottlenecks, it makes sense to stick with what works for now.
It's pretty common, especially for organizations that have legacy systems that don't support Entra-based authentication. Many businesses still rely on hybrid setups primarily due to those older applications and the need for certain functionalities that only AD provides. So, you're definitely not alone in this!
Absolutely! I've seen many companies stick to hybrid setups for exactly those reasons. It's necessary for certain workloads, especially when it comes to older applications that just can't make the jump to a cloud-only model.
Totally agree! Legacy systems are often the driving force behind why companies maintain their on-prem AD. It's a tough spot to be in when you have to deal with technical debt.
In my opinion, while many newer companies are cloud-only right out of the gate, established organizations still frequently utilize a hybrid model. So, it's not unexpected for you to feel like you're behind—many still operate like this due to various operational dependencies.
Exactly! The realities of running a business often keep many anchored to hybrid setups.
Right! And it seems like companies that have legacy apps will always have some reliance on on-prem solutions.
From what I gather in the industry, hybrid AD is still pretty standard. A lot of organizations still have a mix because complete migration to Entra isn't feasible for everyone yet, given the added complexities. Many can't afford the operational costs of fully cloud VMs without missing out on the reliability that on-prem solutions offer.
Exactly! It's a balancing act. On-prem solutions often provide unbeatable speed and reliability for critical operations.
Yeah, and for companies like ours, integrating new apps that aren't cloud-ready makes the hybrid model a necessity for the foreseeable future.
In my experience, it's still quite common. Organizations that have been around a long time typically have more on-prem systems that just can't be phased out easily. Plus, there are many still not ready to go fully cloud due to reliability concerns, especially with heavy file storage needs.
Right! And managing large files or legacy applications often proves that sticking with AD can be very valuable.
Couldn't agree more! The transition takes time, and many organizations still need that solid ground of on-prem AD.
Absolutely! Many organizations are caught between needing the reliability of AD and the advancements of cloud technology.