{"id":44333,"date":"2020-03-08T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=44333"},"modified":"2024-08-15T15:10:49","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T19:10:49","slug":"directory-users-computers-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/directory-users-computers-report","title":{"rendered":"Directory Users and Computers Reporting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Customizable reports of all the users and computers in your directory are essential for maintaining a secure and compliant IT environment. Industry compliance frameworks like PCI<\/a> require proof that any user accounts inactive for 90 days are consistently removed. Left stagnant, these accounts can be vulnerable to cyberattacks. They also clutter your directory, making it cumbersome to keep track of users and systems for asset management purposes<\/a>.\u00a0 With a directory users and computers report, you can easily identify and remove inactive accounts and demonstrate whether the information in your user database is current. This is one crucial step in proving that your team has secure, centralized control over the users and systems in your environment. Let\u2019s take a closer look at some of the parameters you\u2019ll want to include in this type of report, along with some considerations for how to pull it. We\u2019ll look at one approach using Active Directory\u00ae<\/sup>, as well as a more modern solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When creating a directory users and computers report, you\u2019ll want to retrieve more than just a basic list of directory objects. Here are some of the additional properties you may want to pull, and how to use each of them: Ideally, your central directory service is already configured to handle user authorization and authentication along with system policy management, and it safely stores current versions of the above attributes. All you should have to do is retrieve users and computers info from the database. When most people think about these functions, they think of Active Directory. If you manage a Windows\u00ae<\/sup>-only environment with Microsoft\u00ae<\/sup> solutions handling most workloads both on-prem and in the cloud, the AD approach works well. But if your environment also includes Mac\u00ae<\/sup> and\/or Linux\u00ae<\/sup> systems or third-party SaaS products, centralized reporting with AD gets a lot more complicated. IT departments often rely on third-party solutions to manage authorization, authentication, policy control, and reporting for these types of resources, which are difficult to join to the AD domain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The most efficient way to export a list of users and computers from Active Directory is through PowerShell, the interactive prompt and scripting environment designed by Microsoft to help sysadmins combine and automate management tasks. Depending on how you write your script (or combine a few borrowed ones), you\u2019ll have a high degree of control over the report parameters described above. The primary commands involved are Get-ADComputer<\/strong>, Get-ADUser<\/strong>, and Get-CurrentUserGroups<\/strong>. If you\u2019re more comfortable customizing spreadsheets than modifying PowerShell scripts, you could also skip the process of adding multiple filters and properties and instead export an exhaustive list of user and computer attributes as a CSV. Then you\u2019d organize the data as desired in your preferred spreadsheet editor. A number of third-party Active Directory reporting tools also exist, with the goal of simplifying processes for those who\u2019d prefer to avoid PowerShell altogether. But if you\u2019re considering one of these solutions, keep in mind that you\u2019re essentially paying for the interface rather than accessing a deeper level of insights. And this doesn\u2019t necessarily solve the problem for Mac and Linux accounts because they\u2019re likely not joined to AD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than tacking on a third-party AD reporting app, some organizations are approaching directory users and computers reports as part of a larger challenge. They\u2019re starting to find frustration with Active Directory\u2019s limitations in managing modern cloud resources and non-Windows systems. Many are discovering that a new, cloud-hosted central directory service can replace their aging AD instance and consolidate access control and system administration for a broad spectrum of IT resources, both on-prem and in the cloud. This new type of solution, called Directory-as-a-Service\u00ae<\/sup><\/a>, is the first of its kind in that it can serve as your organization\u2019s core identity provider rather than as one solution in a patchwork of AD add-ons. It gives you remote, GPO-like control over Mac, Windows, and Linux systems, provides security measures like multi-factor authentication and full-disk encryption, and it can manage access to systems, SaaS apps, servers, networks, cloud infrastructure, and more. Directory-as-a-Service makes key user and computer object data available in its web-based admin console, with more detailed reports<\/a> customizable via PowerShell. It also offers System Insights\u2122<\/a>, a powerful OS data reporting tool that remotely provides near-real-time status and usage info from the computers in your environment. System data points available in the UI include OS version, network connections, installed programs, memory, storage, and CPU usage, encryption status, last logon time, and installed browser extensions, among others. You can use this premium System Insights feature to double down on security across your organization while simplifying your asset management and troubleshooting workflows.
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nUsers and Computers Report Parameters <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to Pull Directory Users and Computers Reports <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\nActive Directory Users and Computers Reports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nReporting With a Modern Cloud Directory Service <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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