Microsoft’s Azure AD Connect is a tool that allows you to sync Active Directory credentials from local domain (on-prem) environments with Azure. This is not a common occurrence, there are use cases that you need to remove Azure AD Connect from the environment. This can be achieved in a few steps and requires removal from the local domain environment and deactivating the service in the Azure Portal.

Step 1. Remove Azure AD Connect service in Azure Portal.

It may take 72 hours for completion of the deactivation. The time depends on the total objects in your Azure AD.

Set-MsolDirSyncEnabled -EnableDirSync $false

(Get-MSOLCompanyInformation).DirectorySynchronizationEnabled

Uninstall Azure AD Connect application (and services) from your local domain environment using the software/programs Control Panel.

Proper method for removing or disconnecting Azure AD Connect

Migration of Citrix to Azure Virtual Desktop

Cloud computing architecture refers to the components and subcomponents required for cloud computing. These components typically consist of a front end platform, back end platforms, a cloud based delivery, and a network. Combined, these components make up cloud computing architecture. 

Cloud Architecture

Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Large clouds often have functions distributed over multiple locations, each of which is a data center.

Cloud Computing

Virtualization is the act of creating a virtual version of something at the same abstraction level, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources. 

Virtualization

Microsoft Azure, often referred to as Azure, is a cloud computing platform run by Microsoft, which offers access, management, and development of applications and services through global data centers.

Azure

Cyber security can be described as the collective methods, technologies, and processes to help protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of computer systems, networks and data, against cyber-attacks or unauthorized access.

Cyber Security

Cloud networking is a type of IT infrastructure in which some or all of an organization's network capabilities and resources are hosted in a public or private cloud platform, managed in-house or by a service provider, and available on demand.
Companies can either use on-premises cloud networking resources to build a private cloud network or use cloud-based networking resources in the public cloud, or a hybrid cloud combination of both. These network resources can include virtual routers, firewalls, and bandwidth and network management software, with other tools and functions available as required.

Cloud Networking

Microsoft's proprietary directory service

. It runs on Windows Server and enables administrators to manage permissions and access to network resources. Active Directory stores data as objects. An object is a single element, such as a user, group, application or device such as a printer.

Active Directory stores information about objects on the network and makes this information easy for administrators and users to find and use. Active Directory uses a structured data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical organization of directory information.

, that defines the classes of objects and attributes contained in the directory, the constraints and limits on instances of these objects, and the format of their names. For more information about the schema, see 

 that contains information about every object in the directory. This allows users and administrators to find directory information regardless of which domain in the directory actually contains the data. For more information about the global catalog, see 

, so that objects and their properties can be published and found by network users or applications. For more information about querying the directory, see 

Searching in Active Directory Domain Services

 that distributes directory data across a network. All domain controllers in a domain participate in replication and contain a complete copy of all directory information for their domain. Any change to directory data is replicated to all domain controllers in the domain. For more information about Active Directory replication, see 

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft's proprietary directory service

Active Directory

Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), part of 

, is an enterprise identity service that provides single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and conditional access to guard against cybersecurity attacks.

a cloud-based identity and access management service

. Azure AD enables employees access external resources, such as Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and thousands of other SaaS applications.

Azure Active Directory comes in four editions

Azure Active Directory

 enables Azure resources to securely communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks. Azure Virtual Network is 

the fundamental building block for your private network in Azure

A virtual network enables many types of Azure resources, such as Azure Virtual Machines (VM), to securely communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks.

A virtual network (VNet) allows you to specify an IP address range for the VNet, add subnets, associate network security groups, and configure route tables. 

A subnet is a range of IP addresses in your VNet

. You can launch Azure resources into a specified subnet.

Azure virtual network enables Azure resources to securely communicate with each other, the internet, and on-premises networks

Azure Virtual Network

Disconnecting Azure AD Connect

I recently had a client needing to upgrade their existing KMS 2012 to 2022 since we recently upgraded the internal PKI 2012. I wanted to capture the key information about KMS and the steps I used to migrate.

Key Management Services (KMS) uses a client-server model to active clients and is used for volume activation. KMS clients connect to a KMS server, called the KMS host, for activation. The KMS host must reside on a local network.

KMS hosts do not need to be dedicated servers, and KMS can be cohosted with other services. You can run a KMS host on any physical or virtual system that is running a 

 Windows Server or Windows client operating system. A KMS host running on a Windows Server operating system can activate computers running both server and client operating systems, however a KMS host running on a Windows client operating system can only activate computers also running client operating systems.

To use KMS, a KMS host needs a key that activates, or authenticates, the KMS host with Microsoft. This key is sometimes referred to as the KMS host key, but it is formally known as a Microsoft Customer Specific Volume License Key (CSVLK). You can get this key from the Product Keys section of the 

 for the following agreements: Open, Open Value, Select, Enterprise, and Services Provider License. You can also get assistance by contacting your local 

KMS can activate physical and virtual computers, but to qualify for KMS activation, a network must have a minimum number of computers (

). KMS clients activate only after this threshold is met. To ensure that the activation threshold is met, a KMS host counts the number of computers that are requesting activation on the network.

KMS hosts count the most recent connections. When a client or server contacts the KMS host, the host adds the machine ID to its count and then returns the current count value in its response. The client or server will activate if the count is high enough. Clients will activate if the count is 

or higher. Servers and volume editions of Microsoft Office products will activate if the count is five or greater. The KMS only counts unique connections from the past 

KMS activations are valid for 180 days, a period known as the activation validity interval.

A single KMS host can support an unlimited number of KMS clients.

After the first KMS host is activated, the CSVLK that is used on the first host can be used to activate up to five more KMS hosts on your network for a total of six.

KMS activation requires TCP/IP connectivity. KMS hosts and clients are configured by default to use 

 (DNS). KMS hosts use DNS dynamic updates to automatically publish the information that KMS clients need to find and connect to them. You can accept these default settings, or if you have special network and security configuration requirements, you can manually configure KMS hosts and clients.

By default, a KMS host is configured to use TCP on port 

The following table summarizes KMS host and client versions for networks that include Windows Server and Windows client devices.

Windows Updates might be required on the KMS server to support activation of newer clients. If you receive activation errors, check that you have the appropriate updates listed below this table.

Uninstall the KMS host key first by running the following command:

Install the default KMS key by running the following command:

The default KMS client setup keys can be found here: 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc303280.aspx

Delete the record from the DNS by opening the DNS console: 

cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk <KmsKey>

cscript C:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ato

After activation is complete, restart the 

Verify that the record is created for the new server in the DNS.
To verify that the 

host is configured correctly, you can check the 

 on the KMS host to obtain the current KMS count. 

 log in the Applications and Services Logs folder for 12290 events, which records activation requests from KMS clients. Each event displays the name of the computer and the time-stamp of an individual activation request.

KMS 2012 upgrade and planning considerations

Key Management Services Upgrade

Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015.

Windows Desktop

A data center is a building, a dedicated space within a building, or a group of buildings used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.

Data Center

Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behavior and is about constructing and analyzing protocols that prevent third parties or the public from reading private messages.

Cryptography

) is an entity that stores, signs, and issues digital certificates. A digital certificate certifies the ownership of a public key by the named subject of the certificate.

a trusted entity that issues Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates

. These digital certificates are data files used to cryptographically link an entity with a public key. Web browsers use them to authenticate content sent from web servers, ensuring trust in content delivered online.

 can be used to create secure connections to a server via the Internet. A certificate is essential in order to circumvent a malicious party which happens to be on the route to a target server which acts as if it were the target. Such a scenario is commonly referred to as a man-in-the-middle attack. The client uses the CA certificate to authenticate the CA signature on the server certificate, as part of the authorizations before launching a secure connection.

The format of these certificates is specified by the 

A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that 

issues Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates

part of the Windows Server operating system

. A certification authority (CA) is responsible for attesting to the identity of users, computers, and organizations. The CA authenticates an entity and vouches for that identity by issuing a digitally signed certificate.

As of April 2023, below are the 6 largest authorities by absolute usage share:

Certificate Authority

Key Management Services 2012 Upgrade

The MAP Toolkit is used for multi-product assessment and planning. It assesses a network environment using agentless data collection technologies to gather inventory and performance information. Then provides assessment reports to aid organizations with their IT infrastructure planning.

MAP is an agentless utility which automates getting the inventory for any Microsoft Platform. 

I utilize this for on most client engagements for assessment and general analysis when dealing with infrastructure. It must be installed on a Windows Server and not a client OS.

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=111000

Windows 10, 8.1 and Server 2012 R2 deployment with software and hardware related readiness capabilities

Detailed information about the On-Premise Office 2013 or the cloud based Office 365

Assess and Plan you upgradation and migration to Microsoft Azure VM

Detailed information about Microsoft Volume Licensing and compliance accordingly to your organization’s need

In this section, you can review the inventory, assessment, capacity planning and software usage tracking scenarios supported by the MAP Toolkit, understand with which wizard you should start, what selections to make in the wizard, and get an idea of which data collection technologies will be used.

Phase 2: Gather Your Data Collection Requirements

The MAP Toolkit uses collection protocols to communicate with computers in a network in order to collect information to use in the various assessments. The communication is subject to specific administration and security settings on the target computers and is based upon many things including the operating system, firewall and anti-virus settings as well as the information that you are trying to collect. In this phase, you will gather the user accounts and passwords needed to connect and successfully inventory your environment in advance of running the toolkit.

The MAP Toolkit uses several different communication protocols based upon your goals and how the environment is configured. These include WMI, Active Directory Domain Services, SQL Server commands, VMware Web services and SSH with remote PowerShell commands. In Phase 3, you will prepare your environment to ensure that MAP can successfully connect and gather information from the target computers in your environment.

The MAP Toolkit is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center. In this phase, you will install the toolkit according to the options that best fit your environment and goals. See the 

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit

 page on the Microsoft Download Center for additional information.

After you have selected your goals, gathered data collection requirements, prepared your environment, and installed the MAP Toolkit, you can now begin the data collection process. There are two wizards that are used to collect the data required for most scenarios.

 is the starting point for all MAP Toolkit scenarios. Using the information gathered in phases 1-3, the step-by-step wizard will prompt you to:

Provide the credentials required to connect and inventory the target computers successfully (Phase 2- 3)

For additional information about the Inventory and Assessment wizard, see the 

 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=254922.

 is used to collect specific performance-related information such as CPU, memory, network and disk utilization for Windows servers and clients as well as LINUX based servers. The information gathered through this collection mechanism supports the capacity-planning features for server consolidation, desktop virtualization, Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track, and Azure VM Capacity Planning.

For more information about Collecting Performance Data, go to the 

 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=255497.

For a more in depth discussion of Data Collection scenarios, see the 

 at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=255493.



The MAP Toolkit will generate custom reports that are specific to the environment the toolkit inventoried. The following reports are available to export in the MAP Toolkit.

Summarizes the readiness of computers on your network for migration to Windows 7. Indicates which computers already meet the hardware requirements for Windows 7, describes any hardware or BIOS upgrades you should complete before migration, and addresses the compatibility of the devices installed on each computer.

Summarizes the readiness of computers on your network for migration to Windows 8. Indicates which computers already meet the hardware requirements for Windows 8.

Windows Server® 2008 R2 Hardware Assessment

Summarizes the hardware readiness of servers for a migration to Windows Server® 2008 R2 and indicates whether they are capable of running Windows Server® 2008 R2.

Windows Server® 2012 Hardware Assessment

Summarizes the hardware readiness of servers for a migration to Windows Server® 2012 and indicates whether they are capable of running Windows Server® 2012.

Summarizes SQL Server® components installed in your environment, indicates how they map to components in SQL Server® 2012, and describes any guidance and best practices for migrating those components.

The MAP toolkit also generates a SQL Server® Database Details report, which provides detailed information about various SQL Server® instances running in your network. This report also shows which databases are installed on each instance. You can use the information in this report to consolidate SQL Server® instances or databases in your environment.

Identifies Windows and Linux computers running Oracle databases as well as Oracle servers that are installed on HP-UX. This information can be used to assess your environment for migrating to Microsoft® SQL Server®.

Provides details about Internet Explorer browsers deployed in your environment. This report also provides information about the Internet Explorer Add-ons deployed in your environment.

Identifies and provides detailed information about physical computers and the virtual machines running on them. It covers Microsoft® Virtual Server 2005 R2, Microsoft Hyper-V technology, and VMware virtualization platforms.

Summarizes the readiness of each inventoried client computer for migration to Microsoft Office 2010. Describes the Microsoft® Office products installed on each computer, and the version(s) that are installed.

Summarizes the readiness of each inventoried client computer for migration to Microsoft Office 2013. Describes the Microsoft® Office products installed on each computer, and the version(s) that are installed.

Summarizes the overall readiness of the client computers for an upgrade to Office 365. Describes the Microsoft® Office products installed on each computer and the version(s) that are installed.

This report is generated using data from the Performance Metrics Wizard. It provides detailed statistics and information discovered during performance monitoring of selected servers. The statistics are provided for processor, network, memory, physical disk, and logical disk utilization for each selected server. The report is provided so you can ensure that performance monitoring completed successfully and to validate the performance collection statistics.

This assessment is generated using data from the Server Consolidation Wizard. It provides detailed information about the host computer configured in the wizard, consolidation recommendations based on that model, utilization of servers before and after virtualization, and why particular physical computers may not have been placed on the host.

Microsoft Private Cloud Fast Track Consolidation

This assessment offers detailed deployment and sizing recommendations based on key performance metrics and detailed hardware specifications of each server that the Microsoft® Assessment and Planning (MAP) tool inventoried across the network.

Provides details about computers running the Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 operating systems in your environment. The report provides information about the applications installed on each computer and lists their current roles. This report also displays servers running on Itanium hardware as Windows support for this platform has ended with Windows Server 2008 R2.

Inventories web applications and SQL Server® database instances in your environment and reports information that will help you plan for the migration of on-premises workloads to Windows Azure Platform.

Provides a summary comparison, assessment selection and planning details for Remote Desktop Services VDI and Session based capacity planning.

Provides a summary of all Windows-based computers discovered in your environment as well as all collected hardware data and an installed application count. If the user does a Software ID (SWID) Tags inventory, this report will display selected information from SWID tags for installed applications.

Provides a summary of all Linux-based computers discovered in your environment as well as all collected hardware data.

Provides a summary of Windows Thin PC readiness information for computers that are already running a Microsoft Windows client operating system.

Provides a summary of the Microsoft Windows Server and Linux computers that were evaluated to be migrated to a Windows Azure Virtual Machine.

Provides a summary of estimated resource usage and sizing requirements to migrate your physical and virtual servers to Windows Azure Virtual Machines.

Provides a summary of physical servers running virtualization technologies and virtual machines in your IT environment.

Provides a count of the number of Windows devices and users found in the Active Directory environment.

Provides an overview of the Windows Server usage assessment run within your IT environment, a summary of servers found in your environment, roles for each server, and information on unique client and device connections to each server.

Provides an overview of SharePoint Server assessment run within your IT environment, relationships between SharePoint Server farms and the servers in those farms, details about the servers, and client access information.

Endpoint Protection Usage Tracking Report

Provides an overview of Microsoft Forefront Endpoint Protection deployments discovered in your environment, lists each ConfigMgr server with Forefront components installed, and provides details about Forefront agents discovered in your environment.

Provides details on editions of Microsoft SQL Server that require licensing, details on SQL Server instances discovered in your environment, and authorized user and device access to each SQL Server instance discovered.

Provides details about roles and versions of each inventoried Microsoft Exchange Server, as well as details about Exchange mailboxes and enterprise features enabled for each mailbox.

System Center Configuration Manager Usage Tracking Report

The Microsoft MAP Toolkit is used for multi-product assessment and planning.

Digital Transformation Journey to The Cloud

A relational database is a type of database that stores and provides access to data points that are related to one another. Relational databases are based on the relational model, an intuitive, straightforward way of representing data in tables.

Relational Databases

Data Analytics

Infrastructure is the foundation or framework that supports a system or organization. In computing, information technology infrastructure is composed of physical and virtual resources that support the flow, storage, processing and analysis of data.

IT Infrastructure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that makes it easy to build, test, and deploy applications, services, and data. It is designed to make cloud computing easier for developers and power users. It is a cloud computing platform that makes it easy to build, test, and deploy applications, services, and data. It is designed to make cloud computing easier for developers and power tools.

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that makes it easy to build, test, and deploy applications, services, and data

Microsoft Azure

Utilizing Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit

Certification authorities (CAs) are considered the central component of a public key infrastructure (PKI) solution. These CAs are designed to exist for many years, during which time the hardware that hosts the CA is probably upgraded and this article becomes relevant.

Steps for upgrading existing Windows Server 2012 Certificate Authority (PKI Infrastructure) to Windows Server 2022.

Provision at least 3 new Windows 2022 Servers (1 offline server)

Back up the current 2012 CS server CA database and configuration

Export certificate database from root CS and intermediate CAs.

Export the current 2012 CS server registry keys.

Remove all the 2012 CS roles from the current Windows Servers.

Install the CS role on new 2022 Windows Servers.

Open the registry backup file in notepad and find "CAServerName" attribute in that backup file and change it to the new FQDN host name of the CA server you're importing to.

After config setup, stop the certificate services

Import reg key after updating hostname in it (right-click select 

Now you can restore the backup configuration on the 2 new CS intermediate servers that were exported from the old CA servers.

Note the certificate templates that are configured in the Certificate Templates folder in the Certification Authority snap-in. The Certificate Templates settings are stored in Active Directory. They are not automatically backed up. You must manually configure the Certificate Templates settings on the new CA to maintain the same set of templates.

Use the Certification Authority snap-in to back up the CA database and private key. To do this, follow these steps:

In the Certification Authority snap-in, right-click the CA name, click 

 to start the Certification Authority Backup Wizard.

Certificate database and certificate database log

Use an empty folder as the backup location. Make sure that the backup folder can be accessed by the new server.

. If the specified backup folder does not exist, the Certification Authority Backup Wizard creates it.

Type and then confirm a password for the CA private key backup file.

, and then verify the backup settings. The following settings should be displayed:

Remove the CS role from the new 2022 Windows Servers.

Install the CS role on the old 2012 Windows Servers.

Edit the registry backup file to equal the old CA FQDN host name

Restore the backup configuration and registry key on the old CS 2012 servers.

Certification authorities (CAs) are considered the central component of a public key infrastructure (PKI) solution

Windows 2012 PKI Upgrade to 2022

In general, compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. Compliance has traditionally been explained by reference to the deterrence theory, according to which punishing a behavior will decrease the violations both by the wrongdoer and by others

Compliance

Microsoft Visio is a diagramming and vector graphics application and is part of the Microsoft Office family. The product was first introduced in 1992, made by the Shapeware Corporation, later renamed Visio Corporation. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2000.

Visio lets you transform complicated text and tables that are hard to understand into visual diagrams that communicate information at a glance

Microsoft Visio

PKI Infrastructure Upgrade

In today's environment of "hybrid workfroce", providing capabilities of a secure remote desktop and application access virtually anywhere experience for employees.

Migration Guide for Citrix to Azure Virtual Desktop

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Mike Reams Blog

Disconnecting Azure AD Connect

Proper method for removing or disconnecting Azure AD Connect

Key Management Services 2012 Upgrade

KMS 2012 upgrade and planning considerations

Utilizing Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit

The Microsoft MAP Toolkit is used for multi-product assessment and planning.

PKI Infrastructure Upgrade

Certification authorities (CAs) are considered the central component of a public key infrastructure (PKI) solution

Migration Guide for Citrix to Azure Virtual Desktop

Migration Guide for Citrix to Azure Virtual Desktop

Replacing Mashery With Azure API Management

How I replaced Tibco Mashery With Azure API Management

Next.js With Swagger 3 Setup

Swagger with next js

Getting Started With Digital Wallets

Learn about digital wallets

Prisoner of Legacy Systems

Prisoner of Legacy Systems

The Java API Web Service Cheap Seats

The Java API Web Service Cheap Seats

Mike Reams

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Proper method for removing or disconnecting Azure AD Connect

KMS 2012 upgrade and planning considerations

The Microsoft MAP Toolkit is used for multi-product assessment and planning.

Certification authorities (CAs) are considered the central component of a public key infrastructure (PKI) solution

Migration Guide for Citrix to Azure Virtual Desktop

How I replaced Tibco Mashery With Azure API Management

Swagger with next js

Learn about digital wallets

Prisoner of Legacy Systems

The Java API Web Service Cheap Seats

Mike Reams

Categories