IMS Efficient Migration Methods

Efficient IMS Migration Methods

The Active Directory Migration Service (ADMS), recently renamed Identity Migration Service (IMS), offers the migration of users and workstations across domains and forests. It offers a variety of migration methods that cater to different organizational needs, enhancing the efficiency and flexibility of the migration process.

Here's an overview of the functionalities and usage modes of IMS: IMS provides various migration methods, including a unique self-service option with two types: one for corporate network users and another for remote or VPN users. Additionally, ADMS offers admin-automated migrations, user-only migrations, and migrations for workstations shared by multiple users.

This blog post will explore the functionalities and usage modes of different migration methods IMS is offering by providing insights into how it streamlines the migration process.

1. Self-Service Migration Method

Self-Service Portal Migration: Empowering Users and Streamlining IT Self-Service Portal Migration is an Active Directory Migration Service (ADMS) mode that allows users to initiate their own migration, minimizing the need for IT intervention. This empowers users, such as CFOs, to choose when they want to migrate, rather than having IT dictate the schedule. This method focuses on migrating a single user and their workstation, offering a streamlined and user-friendly experience

The self-service approach is designed to be straightforward, granting users the autonomy to decide when to migrate, thereby minimizing potential disruptions if a user doesn't complete their migration within a specified timeframe.

Benefits of Self-Service

• Reduced IT Dependency: One of the most significant advantages of the self-service method is that it reduces the burden on the IT department.
• Scalability: Customers have reported migrating up to 6,000 users in a week using this method, demonstrating its effectiveness for large-scale migrations.
• Profile Translation: During a self-service migration, profiles for other users on the same machine are also translated, even if those users haven't migrated yet.
• Improved Remote User Experience: Remote users often face a different set of challenges than those on the corporate network and ADMS has developed a unique solution to allow the user to migrate over VPN from any remote location.

2. User-Only Bulk Portal Method

Streamlining User Migration with the User-Only Bulk Portal

The next migration method ADMS offers is The User-Only Bulk Portal which offers a streamlined, admin-driven process for migrating users without their associated workstations. This method focuses solely on user data migration, omitting the local profile and workstation migration steps. It's particularly useful in virtual client scenarios where user profiles don't exist in a traditional sense.

Key aspects of this process:

• Initiation: Admins add users to a designated security group in the source domain to mark them for migration.
• User Input: Users can be manually entered into the Bulk Portal browser window or uploaded via a text file.
• Migration Steps: The process involves migrating the user account, copying the SID history, migrating the password hash, and performing SharePoint and Exchange remediation if necessary.

3.Surrogate Method

Admin-Driven Workstation and User Profile Migration via Click Once: In many organizations, migrating workstations and user profiles can be a complex undertaking, especially when dealing with multiple Active Directory (AD) accounts and users sharing a single workstation (many-to-one mapping). This method outlines an approach where IT staff members can efficiently perform these migrations using a Click Once application, streamlining the process and minimizing end-user disruption. 

Scenario: IT-Led Migration for Shared Workstations Imagine a scenario where an IT staff member needs to migrate a workstation and all associated user profiles (who are approved for migration). In this approach, the IT staff members are not migrating their own profile but acting on behalf of the users who share the workstation. They initiate the migration process directly from the workstation, utilizing a Click Once application that provides a user-friendly interface similar to a self-service portal.

Benefits of Surrogate Method

• Simplified Migration: The Click Once application provides a user-friendly interface, simplifying the migration process for IT staff.
• Centralized Control: IT staff maintain control over the migration process, ensuring that it is performed consistently and according to organizational policies.
• Reduced End-User Disruption: The migration is performed by IT staff, minimizing disruption to end-users and ensuring a smooth transition to the new environment.
• Automated Updates: Click Once ensures that the migration tool is always up to date with the latest features and bug fixes.

By leveraging admin-driven approach, organizations can streamline workstations and user profile migrations, especially in complex scenarios involving multiple AD accounts and shared workstations. This approach empowers IT staff to efficiently migrate users to new systems, ensuring minimal disruption and a seamless transition.

4. Auto-Migration Method

Understanding Auto-Migration in ADMS: Active Directory Migration Services (ADMS) offers several modes of migration to suit different needs. Among these, Auto-Migration stands out as an administrator-initiated process that doesn't require user interaction.

What is Auto-Migration? Auto-Migration is set up by an administrator and doesn't need users to do anything. It can be started with a login script, group policy, or software deployment tool, and it can be aimed at either the user, the computer, or both. Even though Auto-Migration is seen as a "push mode" or forced migration, it uses the same self-service migration engine as the other ADMS migration methods.

The Four Usage Modes of Auto-Migration: Auto-Migration in ADMS comes with four distinct usage modes, each designed to cater to specific migration scenarios:

• All Users: This mode targets all users within a specified scope. It's useful when migrating an entire user base from one domain to another in a systematic way.
• Logged-On User: This mode focuses on the user who is currently logged into a system. It ensures that migration occurs for active users, minimizing disruption.
• Explicit User: In this mode, administrators can specify users for migration. This is helpful when dealing with specific accounts or when migrations need to be phased.
• Workstation Only: This mode targets only the workstation. This is helpful when you only want to migrate the computer and not the user profile.

By understanding these different modes, administrators can tailor their migration strategy to meet the unique requirements of their Active Directory environment.

Conclusion

The Identity Migration Service (IMS), formerly known as ADMS, is expanding its functionality to include cloud services. A tenant-to-tenant migration will be released first, followed by functionality to migrate customers from on-premises Active Directory to the cloud. The self-service, opt-in model is currently leveraged in the ADMS product.

Learn more about IMS and explore its powerful migration capabilities today!

• Read our latest insights on the IMS blog 
• Watch related videos on our YouTube channel for a seamless, hassle-free migration experience.

If you would like to discuss in person reach out to us at imssales@microsoft.com, Our team will connect with you.