We're planning to move our laptops and desktops from a traditional on-premises domain to a fully Microsoft Entra ID-only setup. However, we still need access to some local file shares and printers after the migration. For organizations that have removed their local domain controllers, what solutions are you using to provide file storage, permissions, and printer deployment?
5 Answers
It’s also worth reviewing whether every printer and file share is still necessary. Moving user documents and collaboration content into SharePoint or Teams, reducing desktop printers, and using a smaller number of secure shared printers can simplify the Entra-only design. Legacy application data that cannot move to Microsoft 365 can remain on Azure Files or compatible NAS storage with an appropriate identity integration.
For files, the usual first choice is SharePoint and OneDrive, assuming they meet the requirements. Legacy applications or workloads that need SMB may be better suited to Azure Files, although the pricing and management model are different from a local file server. Another option is Microsoft Entra Domain Services, especially when an existing NAS or application still requires LDAP, Kerberos, or traditional domain-style permissions.
For a small number of printers, you can avoid a print server entirely. Deploy the drivers, TCP/IP ports, and printer queues through Intune as Win32 apps or PowerShell packages. Direct IP printing is particularly practical when printer configurations rarely change, and users can install the specific printer they need from the Company Portal.
A dedicated local computer can still host a few printer shares if you need a quick, low-cost solution. Keep it limited to printing, and manage it with your RMM and endpoint protection tools. For very small offices, installing printers directly on each device may actually require less ongoing effort than maintaining another server. For larger or more demanding environments, a professional cloud print service is a safer long-term option.
For printing, products such as PaperCut, PrinterLogic, Printix, or Universal Print can replace a traditional print server. PaperCut and PrinterLogic are common choices when you want centralized management and Entra-based user identity. Universal Print can work well, but printer and driver support may not be mature enough for every environment, and licensing or usage costs need to be checked.
We tested Universal Print, but the available drivers weren’t reliable enough for our environment. We went with a third-party managed printing platform instead.
We had a small office file store that blocked our migration for a while. We ended up using an LDAP wrapper to translate Entra authentication into something the NAS could understand. It isn’t especially elegant, but it works for legacy storage.