Running a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) with my brother taught me that every dollar counts toward the bottom line. That mindset carried forward when I began to do IT consulting work, because every dollar counts to a business owner. One engagement put that ethos to the test and changed how I think about managing IT. My experience shaped the recommendations I\u2019d initially offered, which were appropriate for the client but anchored by a formulaic approach that revolved around the perception that domain controllers are still \u201cindispensable.\u201d The status quo wasn\u2019t in her best interests and so my final guidance was: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t buy a new server \u2026 you\u2019ll save a lot of money, and you\u2019ll get more out of JumpCloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arriving at that decision was a teachable moment, but let\u2019s backtrack to how I arrived at the conclusion to ditch the server, which may be a choice that you\u2019re wrestling with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The job began with my client\u2019s urgent need to replace an outdated domain controller that was running Windows Server 2008, along with a list of aspirations that would modernize IT at her family business that we\u2019d address afterward. That edition of Windows Server couldn\u2019t even run Windows Update anymore, and was an acute security threat. Her brother, who is not a security analyst, was so bothered by the sound of the running machine (alongside cobwebs beneath the stairs) that he switched it off every night. While that wasn\u2019t a terrible<\/em> idea, I considered the server to be compromised at the onset. Therefore, the first priority was to replace and decommission the server as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We initially spoke over the phone and developed a solid plan to address her needs, which also saved her family business thousands of dollars over a competitor\u2019s quote by selecting refurbished hardware. Overall, the strategy would improve security, flexibility, and prioritization<\/a> of future projects. We planned to use a better EDR; implement configuration, SSO, MFA, and RADIUS server to secure company Wi-Fi; improve onboarding\/offboarding; and conduct security awareness training. The next step was to visit the office to assess what was really going on in the spider preserve (server room).<\/p>\n\n\n\n My assumption was that the domain controller was doing something<\/em>, <\/em>but it really wasn\u2019t performing any kind of role that would justify spending anything<\/em> on new hardware. Plus, obtaining buy-in for IT spending can be an uphill battle at a family-run SME \u2014 not wasting money on unnecessary stuff and working with senior family members who were raised to make do with what they already have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the gist of what I learned while poking around on-site:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I could still<\/em> justify the lesser expense of refurbished hardware, because there\u2019s a case to be made that using ADFS for single sign-on (SSO), implementing policies in AD, and adding MFA (and some conditional access policies) to the mix would provide enough value to justify buying a server. Unfortunately, that path would involve numerous upcharges from Microsoft for add-ons and higher \u201ctiers\u201d of services. Plus, something bugged me (and it wasn\u2019t the spiders): How would I feel if this was my money? <\/p>\n\n\n\n I began to consider how long it would take until the client\u2019s business growth rendered the new server obsolete and the cost of maintaining it. The scenario got even murkier when considering that more hardware and pricey virtualization software is required to run other services through Windows, such as RADIUS, or even to configure basic high availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What needed to be done was clear, but it wasn\u2019t necessary or prudent to pay the Microsoft IAM (Identity and Access Management) \u201ctax\u201d or blow my client\u2019s budget on hardware. It just didn\u2019t feel <\/em>right to cost my client thousands of dollars, but I wasn\u2019t familiar with any good alternatives, but that changed after a friend suggested that I evaluate JumpCloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Admittedly, I was skeptical at the onset. Active Directory is very powerful and Microsoft\u2019s cloud service integrates nicely with it. That\u2019s what I knew, and it worked, but doing what you know without asking why<\/em> is a disservice to one\u2019s self (and your clients). A colleague who was a process management expert at my business dispelled the notion that length of tenure makes a great employee by asking, \u201cHow can you say someone has 20 years of experience if they stopped learning after five years?\u201d It was only fair to hold myself just as accountable, so I signed up for a trial of JumpCloud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That single call sealed the deal. I realized that it was possible to do what I sought to accomplish for my client for less, with greater efficiency and platform consolidation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Would I be a good consultant if I still <\/em>recommended a domain controller? The answer, to me, was simple. The client was paying me to make expert<\/em> recommendations and JumpCloud provided the greatest value and simplest path forward. My business sense also factored into that decision: I\u2019ve signed the front of paychecks and understand what it means to be an SME and make payroll. It\u2019s not my money: it\u2019s theirs, the client\u2019s. Many SMEs don\u2019t need legacy hardware server configurations, even those that have unique requirements can extend Active Directory<\/a> with JumpCloud IAM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not only did I ditch the domain servers, I resigned from my last job and joined JumpCloud after trying the product and gaining an appreciation of what\u2019s possible within the domainless enterprise<\/a>. My teachable moment unexpectedly became a new career path: all that was required was a willingness to change. I strongly encourage you to try JumpCloud if the scenario outlined above has a familiar ring. Change delves into the unfamiliar, but it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The JumpCloud platform is free for 10 devices and 10 users<\/a> with complimentary premium chat support, available 24×7\/365 within the first 10 days of your account\u2019s creation. You can even keep your Windows devices joined to your domain while you preview the platform\u2019s capabilities. If you’re getting the itch to join me at a great organization in a new career path, changing how remote work happens, please feel free to reach out<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Don\u2019t buy a new server \u2026 you\u2019ll save a lot of money, and you\u2019ll get more out of JumpCloud.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":150,"featured_media":5970,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,2781],"tags":[2321,2536,2503,2433],"collection":[2778,2779,2777],"platform":[],"funnel_stage":[3015],"coauthors":[2535],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nA Do-Nothing Domain Controller<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why I Decided to Ditch Active Directory and Go With JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Try JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n