Best Microsoft ADMT Migration Alternatives: Complete Explanation

Microsoft ADMT (Active Directory Migration Tool) is an easy-to-use tool for migrating Active Directory objects between domains or forests. However, it has its limitations and drawbacks. Therefore, it becomes essential for organizations to find alternative ADMT solutions. Which can provide better features, flexibility, and support for almost all operating systems. Moreover, in this write-up, we are going to discuss some of the best Microsoft ADMT alternatives. After evaluating their features, advantages, technical aspects, and use cases.

Before getting into this directly, let’s have a quick glimpse of the Microsoft ADMT solution. Then we will discuss its limitations and drawbacks.

Want a Replacement? Check out the Microsoft ADMT Tool First

Microsoft ADMT version 3.2 (ADMT v3.2) migrates objects and restructures tasks within an Active Directory Domain Service (AD DS) environment. With ADMT v3.2, you can efficiently migrate users, groups, and computers between AD-DS domains in separate forests (inter-forest migration) or within the same forest (intra-forest migration).

Additionally, ADMT can handle security translation, enabling the migration of local user profiles during inter-forest migrations.

However, it is essential to be aware that this tool has some known issues and is currently under limited support.

Before using ADMT, it is strongly advised to thoroughly review the ADMT Known Problems and Support Statement. By doing so, you can understand the potential challenges and limitations associated with the tool and make informed decisions accordingly.

Let’s Discuss the Limits of ADMT

ADMT, the Active Directory Migration Tool, was originally released as a free download to facilitate the migration to Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003-era operating systems. However, it hasn’t been updated to support more recent operating systems.

The following operating systems are not supported by ADMT:

• Windows 11
• Windows 10
• Windows 8.1
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2012 R2

If you attempt to run ADMT on any of the unsupported operating systems mentioned above, you will encounter the following known issues:

1. ADMT can’t migrate user profiles from operating systems that are later than Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 to other operating systems. Similarly, it can’t migrate user profiles to operating systems that are later than Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 from older operating systems.
2. ADMT isn’t compatible with the secure defaults used by modern operating systems.
3. ADMT hasn’t been tested together with later versions of Microsoft SQL Server. If you use ADMT in such circumstances, you might encounter incompatibilities or other issues.

It is essential to note that using ADMT on unsupported operating systems or unsupported configurations may lead to unpredictable results and potential issues during the migration process.

Several Prerequisites Make Admins Consider ADMT Alternatives

1. System Requirements for ADMT v3.2:

• • Supported Operating Systems:
    •  Windows Server 2008
    •  Windows Server 2008 R2
    •  Windows Server 2012
    •  Windows Server 2012 R2
• Installation Compatibility:
  • ADMT can be installed on any computer capable of running the Windows Server 2008 operating system or later, unless they are Read-only domain controller or in a Server Core configuration.
• Pre-Requisite for Target Domain:
  • The target domain must be running one of the following operating systems:
    • Windows Server 2008
    • Windows Server 2008 R2
    • Windows Server 2012
    • Windows Server 2012 R2
• Pre-Requisite for Source Domain:
  • The source domain must be running one of the following operating systems:
    • Windows Server 2008
    • Windows Server 2008 R2
    • Windows Server 2012
    • Windows Server 2012 R2
• ADMT Agent Compatibility:
  • The ADMT agent, installed by ADMT on computers in the source domains, can operate on computers running the following operating systems:
    • Windows XP
    • Windows Vista
    • Windows Server 2008
    • Windows 7
    • Windows Server 2008 R2
    • Windows Server 2012
    • Windows Server 2012 R2

Now it becomes quite evident from the above why users seek ADMT alternatives. Let’s discuss it in detail.

Step-by-Step Way to Operate the ADMT Alternative Software

Step 1. Use administrator as the user ID and Password on the login screen.

Step 2. After logging in, click on the “Register Domain Controller” button.

Step 3. Now, enter the Domain Name and IP Address of the source domain controller. Then click on the “Save & Continue” button.

Step 4. Next, enter the destination Active Directory Domain Name and IP Address. Now click on the “Save & Continue” button.

Step 5. Click on the source Domain and provide credentials in the “Info” tab. Click on the “Save & Validate” option.

Step 6. Then, navigate to the Active Directory section and click on the “Fetch Active Directory Objects” option. This action will fetch all the source Active Directory Domain Objects.

Step 7. Click on the destination Domain and enter credentials in the “Info” tab. Click on the “Save & Validate” option.

Step 8. Navigate to the Active Directory Tab and click on the “Fetch Active Directory Objects” option. This will display the destination AD objects.

Step 9. Then, go to the Migration Section and click on the “Create Migration Scenario” option.

Step 10. Assign a name and select the Source and Destination Domains. Click on “Save & Continue.”

Step 11. Create a Task and select the required workload from the given options, such as User, Printer, Computer, Group, Shared Folder, and Contact.

Step 12. Then, you will see all the AD Objects present in the source domain. Click on the Three Dots in front of any object to map it to the Destination.

Step 13. After selecting the object, choose whether you want to Overwrite, Merge, or Create a new file. Click on the “Select” button.

Step 14. Click on the “Start” button to migrate Active Directory users to the new domain.

Conclusion

Whenever organizations undergo digital transformations, the need for efficient and secure Active Directory migrations becomes increasingly vital. While Microsoft ADMT has been a reliable tool for the selective workload, however, its incompatibility and limitations do not make it the prime choice of users.

Hence, it becomes compulsory to explore ADMT alternatives that can offer added benefits and comprehensive migration requirements. Whether you are conducting a simple domain consolidation or a complex sub-domain OU migration, the ADMT alternative mentioned in this article offers a variety of features to suit your needs.