ADMT Guide: Migrating and Restructuring Active Directory Domains
Applies to: Active Directory Migration Tool 3.1 (ADMT 3.1) and ADMT 3.2
To obtain a downloadable version of this guide in .doc format, see ADMT Guide: Migrating and Restructuring Active Directory Domains (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=191734).
As part of deploying the Active Directory® directory service or Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), you might choose to restructure your environment for the following reasons:
• To optimize the arrangement of elements within the logical Active Directory structure
• To assist in completing a business merger, acquisition, or divestiture
Restructuring involves the migration of resources between Active Directory domains in either the same forest or in different forests. After you deploy Active Directory or AD DS, you might decide to further reduce the complexity of your environment by either restructuring domains between forests or restructuring domains within a single forest.
You can use the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) to perform object migrations and security translation as necessary so that users can maintain access to network resources during the migration process. For more information about the different versions of ADMT that are available, when to use each version, and how to obtain them, see Active Directory Migration Tool versions and supported environments.
In this guide
• Best Practices for Active Directory Migration
• Interforest Active Directory Domain Restructure
• Intraforest Active Directory Domain Restructure
• Appendix: Advanced Procedures
• Troubleshooting ADMT
• Additional Resources
The following sections explain the main migration scenarios for using ADMT. After you determine the appropriate scenario for your environment, follow the steps later in this guide for that scenario.
Interforest Active Directory domain restructure
You might perform an interforest restructure for business changes, such as mergers or acquisitions or divestitures, in which your organizations have to combine or divide resources. As part of the restructuring process, when you migrate objects between forests both the source and target domain environments exist simultaneously. This makes it possible for you to roll back to the source environment during the migration, if necessary.