I'm not completely new to Active Directory (AD), but I definitely don't have extensive experience, especially with the Microsoft side of things. I'm curious if people are still managing on-prem Active Directory domain controllers, or if it's mostly moving towards Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) nowadays. Would it be worth my time to learn more about the on-prem aspects, or should I dive deeper into Entra ID instead?
6 Answers
Despite Microsoft's push towards cloud solutions, AD isn’t going anywhere in medium to larger businesses. There's a lot more comfort in using a reliable on-prem method. Plus, learning AD is often simpler than all the modern cloud identity solutions out there.
About 90% of Fortune 1000 companies still use AD, so it's definitely not going away anytime soon! Even though the cloud is gaining traction, AD remains deeply integrated into many systems.
I'd say learn both! Each has its role, and Entra ID isn’t going to completely take over on-prem management for a while, so being versatile is key.
I manage only on-prem infrastructure, and many companies stick with it because of how it integrates with their existing systems. They prefer to keep things stable rather than shift to the cloud without a solid reason. Hybrid setups are also becoming more common to accommodate mobile clients.
AD and Entra ID serve different functions. Unless you're in a small organization that doesn't use Windows servers, you'll likely need to be familiar with Active Directory.
You really need a grasp on both. A lot of environments are actually hybrid, where they use a mix of on-prem AD and Entra ID. So focusing on just one may limit your skills.
I work for an MSP and we have all our clients on a hybrid setup. It's here to stay for a while, especially since transitioning to fully cloud-based requires a lot of planning.
Good point! I've only worked with Azure AD for smaller customers, but I do have a couple of larger clients that still rely on on-prem. Seems like it’s still relevant.