![\"money](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/forgo-paying-e1575495406960.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhat is a Directory Service?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nStepping back, what is a directory service? A directory service connects users and employees with the IT resources they need to do their jobs, including systems, servers, cloud and on-prem applications, files, and networks. Historically, the leading directory services (also called identity providers) solutions have included Microsoft Active Directory (MAD or AD)<\/a> and OpenLDAP <\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe identity provider authenticates, authorizes, and in the case of AD, manages users with their Windows devices and applications. More specifically, an identity provider confirms a user is who they say they are (authentication), controls the level of access that person should have (authorization), and then manages their systems for security policies, configurations, and settings. Directory services control who should have access to what resources \u2013 enabling users to do their jobs securely.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"earth](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/what-is-a-directory-service-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy Some Organizations Don\u2019t Have Identity Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn most organizations, directory services are at the center of the network, making them as critical to the business\u2019s overall success as they are to the underlying network infrastructure itself.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"id](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/dont-have-identity-management-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe question, then, is why would any organization forgo implementing an identity management platform?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn reality, there are multiple ways that connecting users to IT resources can be accomplished, and companies have found work-arounds. For instance, companies can use an extra piece of software to help automate the process, or they can even manage the process manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In talking with thousands of organizations all across the globe, there are a wide variety of reasons why IT admins don\u2019t have directory services. These include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe organization is too small.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n Some organizations feel they\u2019re too small to deal with the overhead of implementing a directory service. For these companies, manually managing access control seems easier. It\u2019s less time consuming, cheaper, and offers direct control. Most of these IT admins (or maybe more accurately, a founder or owner) manage the connections in their head because there are just a few users. As an organization grows\u2014even over five users\u2014remembering who has access to what IT resources becomes increasingly difficult as the company scales. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"identity](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Professional-Service-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cNo on-prem infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\nOther organizations don\u2019t have an identity provider simply because they have no on-prem infrastructure. These companies are \u201cborn in the cloud\u201d or are \u201call cloud.\u201d They lack the infrastructure to have servers on-prem or the ability to manage on-prem directories. Some companies may utilize outsourced IT management firms. But, directory services historically have been placed on-prem, so without the ability to host and manage the servers and software, an organization bypasses this critical capability.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"samba](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Server-Icon-2.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t support modern IT infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMany IT organizations have changed their infrastructure in recent years. No longer are they 100% Microsoft based. More and more they are becoming Mac based, or mobile based. Fortune 500 companies<\/a> like IBM, GE, and Capital One have even deployed thousands of Macs across their workforce. Additionally, with the advent of the cloud, more IT infrastructure is living off-prem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On one side, organizations rely heavily on SaaS-based applications. These can include G Suite\u2122, Office 365\u2122, Salesforce\u00ae<\/sup>, GitHubTM , Slack, Box\u2122, and many others. On the other side, IT is leveraging Infrastructure-as-a-Service or cloud server infrastructure such as AWS\u00ae<\/sup> or Google Cloud Platform\u2122. Both of these uses of cloud IT infrastructure, unfortunately, are problematic for legacy directory services. Further, as Macs and Linux devices are more prevalent, directories such as AD and LDAP struggle to connect and manage them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"laptop\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Laptop-Circle-Icon.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo complicated to implement.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDirectory services are complex and complicated. Virtually every IT resource\u2014systems, cloud infrastructure, internal applications, file servers, and web-based applications\u2014needs to be connected to a directory service. While some of these connections are straightforward, others are not because there are complications around OS platforms, protocol support, networking, and security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
OpenLDAP, the leading open source LDAP<\/a> implementation, for instance, requires significant technical knowledge to manage and maintain it. While Active Directory is a bit easier to install, configuring and managing all of the different pieces of functionality is a full-time IT role. For many organizations, the level of effort doesn\u2019t match up with the perceived benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"gears\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Gears-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo expensive to run.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs critical as directory services are to an organization, the cost to run the directory often outstrips an organization\u2019s ability to pay for it. Of course there are hardware and software costs, but the real hidden cost of directory services is in the on-going management. Users come and go. Devices are added and decommissioned. Applications are added into the mix. All of this requires IT admins to be engaged with their identity management platform to update the connections. Further, a directory service needs to be up 100% of the time and as a result it takes infrastructure and management. Current directories take time and money to run which is an impediment to a large number of organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"money](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Investment-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Organizations Operate without a Directory Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter understanding why organizations don\u2019t leverage a central user directory, the question becomes, \u201cHow is this task accomplished, then?\u201d IT admins are creative in solving the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manual Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most common alternative to a user directory is manual user management. IT admins hand-provision users on devices (laptops, desktops, and servers) and applications. When users leave, they manually delete them from IT resources. Admins often will create spreadsheets to manage the details of user access or some will script the process of provisioning and deprovisioning users to create some automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a limited number of users, platforms, and applications, manual management is a reasonable approach to controlling access. Business continuity and security, of course, can be compromised in this scenario. There are often only a few IT admins at an organization, and the job can become bigger than they can manage, especially when you consider that the average business ends up using 50+ web-based applications<\/a> (and that\u2019s just one type of resource). Further, security takes a back seat as admins in this scenario struggle to find the time to apply best practices like enforcing complex passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"gear](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Settings-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nConfiguration Management Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For organizations that have grown up in the cloud, or who have embraced DevOps, tools like Puppet, Chef, Salt, or Ansible (among many others) offer a centralized management tool that can provide user management on servers in small organizations. These tools allow IT admins to provision users, primarily on production systems (as they are not often used in development, test, or desktop environments), via a central set of scripts. The downside to these tools is that they achieve this through the use of scripting, and each change requires a code change. Further, these scripts become very complex when exceptions are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the time an organization reaches twenty to thirty users, these exceptions become common, as do third-party audits, which require fine-grained access control. Configuration management tools do not handle these types of requirements well and nor do they generally support strict compliance activities. In addition, configuration management tools do not satisfy the user management needs of IT for their desktops, laptops, and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"tools\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/Settings-Circle-Icon.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nG Suite Directory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Google services have become a standard for small to medium-sized enterprises. Organizations manage a directory of sorts by placing their users in G Suite. The users then have access to a number of Google services and they can also use their Google credentials with a select, few other web-based applications and services. Unfortunately, G Suite Directory does not extend to devices such as a user\u2019s desktop or laptop, servers hosted at AWS or Azure, on-prem applications, WiFi, file servers, and more. The result is that an organization\u2019s core infrastructure \u2013 whether on-prem or in the cloud needs to be managed in a different way outside of G Suite\u2019s “directory.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"g](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/g-orange-icon-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, the Solution for No Directory Situations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nInnovative organizations don\u2019t settle for these issues with directory services. IT admins at these companies know that a central user directory is absolutely imperative. It\u2019s arguably the most critical piece of infrastructure within an IT organization. Manually managing users, trying to script the process, or leveraging vendor specific solutions is not good enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SSO solutions<\/a>, while valuable, don\u2019t give IT admins the level of control that they desire. Microsoft\u2019s Azure AD is a complement to the on-prem AD, not a replacement. As a result, while most organizations go without a central directory, modern, innovative companies opt for a cloud directory service\u2014JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJumpCloud eliminates many of the roadblocks that organizations face with an identity provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Completely Cloud-Based<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs a hosted directory service, there is no infrastructure for IT admins to implement or manage. That means that things like backups, upgrades, security, networking, and maintenance are all handled for you. As a result, a cloud directory takes less time and expertise, making it ideal for mixed platform, cloud-forward environments.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"directory-as-a-service\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Cloud-Can-be-Stronger-Circle-Icon-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nComprehensive Identity Provider<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPerhaps the most critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is the ability for it to function as the central identity management platform for virtually all IT resources including devices, applications, file servers, networks, and cloud\/Web infrastructure. JumpCloud leverages multiple authentication protocols including a device\u2019s native authentication, LDAP, RADIUS, SSH, TOTP, and SAML. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This enables the SaaS-based central directory service to control desktops, laptops, and servers whether on-prem or in the cloud. Further, LDAP and SAML authentication enables JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service to control access over applications both internal and web-based. RADIUS connects users to networks, including WiFi. SSH and TOTP, while not exactly authentication protocols, can be leveraged to securely access systems and applications. A cloud directory services solution supports the modern IT infrastructure that companies are using and moving to.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"compass\"](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Compass-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCost Effective<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnother critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is that it is cost-effective. Because of its SaaS-based approach, organizations only pay for what they use, so the solution becomes scalable. Further, there are no separate hardware, software, and implementation \/ professional services costs. A simple, monthly or annual subscription model covers what organizations need for their identity management needs.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n![\"stack](\"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Pile-of-Money-Icon-1-300x300.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFor organizations that don\u2019t have a formal user directory solution, JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is an ideal approach.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor more information on JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, contact JumpCloud<\/a> or give our cloud-based directory service a try<\/a>. Your first 10 users are free forever.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
The identity provider authenticates, authorizes, and in the case of AD, manages users with their Windows devices and applications. More specifically, an identity provider confirms a user is who they say they are (authentication), controls the level of access that person should have (authorization), and then manages their systems for security policies, configurations, and settings. Directory services control who should have access to what resources \u2013 enabling users to do their jobs securely.<\/p>\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhy Some Organizations Don\u2019t Have Identity Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nIn most organizations, directory services are at the center of the network, making them as critical to the business\u2019s overall success as they are to the underlying network infrastructure itself.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe question, then, is why would any organization forgo implementing an identity management platform?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIn reality, there are multiple ways that connecting users to IT resources can be accomplished, and companies have found work-arounds. For instance, companies can use an extra piece of software to help automate the process, or they can even manage the process manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In talking with thousands of organizations all across the globe, there are a wide variety of reasons why IT admins don\u2019t have directory services. These include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe organization is too small.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n Some organizations feel they\u2019re too small to deal with the overhead of implementing a directory service. For these companies, manually managing access control seems easier. It\u2019s less time consuming, cheaper, and offers direct control. Most of these IT admins (or maybe more accurately, a founder or owner) manage the connections in their head because there are just a few users. As an organization grows\u2014even over five users\u2014remembering who has access to what IT resources becomes increasingly difficult as the company scales. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cNo on-prem infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\nOther organizations don\u2019t have an identity provider simply because they have no on-prem infrastructure. These companies are \u201cborn in the cloud\u201d or are \u201call cloud.\u201d They lack the infrastructure to have servers on-prem or the ability to manage on-prem directories. Some companies may utilize outsourced IT management firms. But, directory services historically have been placed on-prem, so without the ability to host and manage the servers and software, an organization bypasses this critical capability.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t support modern IT infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMany IT organizations have changed their infrastructure in recent years. No longer are they 100% Microsoft based. More and more they are becoming Mac based, or mobile based. Fortune 500 companies<\/a> like IBM, GE, and Capital One have even deployed thousands of Macs across their workforce. Additionally, with the advent of the cloud, more IT infrastructure is living off-prem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On one side, organizations rely heavily on SaaS-based applications. These can include G Suite\u2122, Office 365\u2122, Salesforce\u00ae<\/sup>, GitHubTM , Slack, Box\u2122, and many others. On the other side, IT is leveraging Infrastructure-as-a-Service or cloud server infrastructure such as AWS\u00ae<\/sup> or Google Cloud Platform\u2122. Both of these uses of cloud IT infrastructure, unfortunately, are problematic for legacy directory services. Further, as Macs and Linux devices are more prevalent, directories such as AD and LDAP struggle to connect and manage them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo complicated to implement.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDirectory services are complex and complicated. Virtually every IT resource\u2014systems, cloud infrastructure, internal applications, file servers, and web-based applications\u2014needs to be connected to a directory service. While some of these connections are straightforward, others are not because there are complications around OS platforms, protocol support, networking, and security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
OpenLDAP, the leading open source LDAP<\/a> implementation, for instance, requires significant technical knowledge to manage and maintain it. While Active Directory is a bit easier to install, configuring and managing all of the different pieces of functionality is a full-time IT role. For many organizations, the level of effort doesn\u2019t match up with the perceived benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo expensive to run.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs critical as directory services are to an organization, the cost to run the directory often outstrips an organization\u2019s ability to pay for it. Of course there are hardware and software costs, but the real hidden cost of directory services is in the on-going management. Users come and go. Devices are added and decommissioned. Applications are added into the mix. All of this requires IT admins to be engaged with their identity management platform to update the connections. Further, a directory service needs to be up 100% of the time and as a result it takes infrastructure and management. Current directories take time and money to run which is an impediment to a large number of organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Organizations Operate without a Directory Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAfter understanding why organizations don\u2019t leverage a central user directory, the question becomes, \u201cHow is this task accomplished, then?\u201d IT admins are creative in solving the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Manual Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps the most common alternative to a user directory is manual user management. IT admins hand-provision users on devices (laptops, desktops, and servers) and applications. When users leave, they manually delete them from IT resources. Admins often will create spreadsheets to manage the details of user access or some will script the process of provisioning and deprovisioning users to create some automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a limited number of users, platforms, and applications, manual management is a reasonable approach to controlling access. Business continuity and security, of course, can be compromised in this scenario. There are often only a few IT admins at an organization, and the job can become bigger than they can manage, especially when you consider that the average business ends up using 50+ web-based applications<\/a> (and that\u2019s just one type of resource). Further, security takes a back seat as admins in this scenario struggle to find the time to apply best practices like enforcing complex passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nConfiguration Management Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
For organizations that have grown up in the cloud, or who have embraced DevOps, tools like Puppet, Chef, Salt, or Ansible (among many others) offer a centralized management tool that can provide user management on servers in small organizations. These tools allow IT admins to provision users, primarily on production systems (as they are not often used in development, test, or desktop environments), via a central set of scripts. The downside to these tools is that they achieve this through the use of scripting, and each change requires a code change. Further, these scripts become very complex when exceptions are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By the time an organization reaches twenty to thirty users, these exceptions become common, as do third-party audits, which require fine-grained access control. Configuration management tools do not handle these types of requirements well and nor do they generally support strict compliance activities. In addition, configuration management tools do not satisfy the user management needs of IT for their desktops, laptops, and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nG Suite Directory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Google services have become a standard for small to medium-sized enterprises. Organizations manage a directory of sorts by placing their users in G Suite. The users then have access to a number of Google services and they can also use their Google credentials with a select, few other web-based applications and services. Unfortunately, G Suite Directory does not extend to devices such as a user\u2019s desktop or laptop, servers hosted at AWS or Azure, on-prem applications, WiFi, file servers, and more. The result is that an organization\u2019s core infrastructure \u2013 whether on-prem or in the cloud needs to be managed in a different way outside of G Suite\u2019s “directory.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, the Solution for No Directory Situations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nInnovative organizations don\u2019t settle for these issues with directory services. IT admins at these companies know that a central user directory is absolutely imperative. It\u2019s arguably the most critical piece of infrastructure within an IT organization. Manually managing users, trying to script the process, or leveraging vendor specific solutions is not good enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
SSO solutions<\/a>, while valuable, don\u2019t give IT admins the level of control that they desire. Microsoft\u2019s Azure AD is a complement to the on-prem AD, not a replacement. As a result, while most organizations go without a central directory, modern, innovative companies opt for a cloud directory service\u2014JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\nJumpCloud eliminates many of the roadblocks that organizations face with an identity provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Completely Cloud-Based<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAs a hosted directory service, there is no infrastructure for IT admins to implement or manage. That means that things like backups, upgrades, security, networking, and maintenance are all handled for you. As a result, a cloud directory takes less time and expertise, making it ideal for mixed platform, cloud-forward environments.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nComprehensive Identity Provider<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nPerhaps the most critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is the ability for it to function as the central identity management platform for virtually all IT resources including devices, applications, file servers, networks, and cloud\/Web infrastructure. JumpCloud leverages multiple authentication protocols including a device\u2019s native authentication, LDAP, RADIUS, SSH, TOTP, and SAML. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This enables the SaaS-based central directory service to control desktops, laptops, and servers whether on-prem or in the cloud. Further, LDAP and SAML authentication enables JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service to control access over applications both internal and web-based. RADIUS connects users to networks, including WiFi. SSH and TOTP, while not exactly authentication protocols, can be leveraged to securely access systems and applications. A cloud directory services solution supports the modern IT infrastructure that companies are using and moving to.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCost Effective<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnother critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is that it is cost-effective. Because of its SaaS-based approach, organizations only pay for what they use, so the solution becomes scalable. Further, there are no separate hardware, software, and implementation \/ professional services costs. A simple, monthly or annual subscription model covers what organizations need for their identity management needs.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nFor organizations that don\u2019t have a formal user directory solution, JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is an ideal approach.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nFor more information on JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, contact JumpCloud<\/a> or give our cloud-based directory service a try<\/a>. Your first 10 users are free forever.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe question, then, is why would any organization forgo implementing an identity management platform?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In reality, there are multiple ways that connecting users to IT resources can be accomplished, and companies have found work-arounds. For instance, companies can use an extra piece of software to help automate the process, or they can even manage the process manually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In talking with thousands of organizations all across the globe, there are a wide variety of reasons why IT admins don\u2019t have directory services. These include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some organizations feel they\u2019re too small to deal with the overhead of implementing a directory service. For these companies, manually managing access control seems easier. It\u2019s less time consuming, cheaper, and offers direct control. Most of these IT admins (or maybe more accurately, a founder or owner) manage the connections in their head because there are just a few users. As an organization grows\u2014even over five users\u2014remembering who has access to what IT resources becomes increasingly difficult as the company scales. <\/p>\n\n\n \n\nOther organizations don\u2019t have an identity provider simply because they have no on-prem infrastructure. These companies are \u201cborn in the cloud\u201d or are \u201call cloud.\u201d They lack the infrastructure to have servers on-prem or the ability to manage on-prem directories. Some companies may utilize outsourced IT management firms. But, directory services historically have been placed on-prem, so without the ability to host and manage the servers and software, an organization bypasses this critical capability.\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n Many IT organizations have changed their infrastructure in recent years. No longer are they 100% Microsoft based. More and more they are becoming Mac based, or mobile based. Fortune 500 companies<\/a> like IBM, GE, and Capital One have even deployed thousands of Macs across their workforce. Additionally, with the advent of the cloud, more IT infrastructure is living off-prem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On one side, organizations rely heavily on SaaS-based applications. These can include G Suite\u2122, Office 365\u2122, Salesforce\u00ae<\/sup>, GitHubTM , Slack, Box\u2122, and many others. On the other side, IT is leveraging Infrastructure-as-a-Service or cloud server infrastructure such as AWS\u00ae<\/sup> or Google Cloud Platform\u2122. Both of these uses of cloud IT infrastructure, unfortunately, are problematic for legacy directory services. Further, as Macs and Linux devices are more prevalent, directories such as AD and LDAP struggle to connect and manage them. <\/p>\n\n\n Directory services are complex and complicated. Virtually every IT resource\u2014systems, cloud infrastructure, internal applications, file servers, and web-based applications\u2014needs to be connected to a directory service. While some of these connections are straightforward, others are not because there are complications around OS platforms, protocol support, networking, and security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n OpenLDAP, the leading open source LDAP<\/a> implementation, for instance, requires significant technical knowledge to manage and maintain it. While Active Directory is a bit easier to install, configuring and managing all of the different pieces of functionality is a full-time IT role. For many organizations, the level of effort doesn\u2019t match up with the perceived benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n As critical as directory services are to an organization, the cost to run the directory often outstrips an organization\u2019s ability to pay for it. Of course there are hardware and software costs, but the real hidden cost of directory services is in the on-going management. Users come and go. Devices are added and decommissioned. Applications are added into the mix. All of this requires IT admins to be engaged with their identity management platform to update the connections. Further, a directory service needs to be up 100% of the time and as a result it takes infrastructure and management. Current directories take time and money to run which is an impediment to a large number of organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n After understanding why organizations don\u2019t leverage a central user directory, the question becomes, \u201cHow is this task accomplished, then?\u201d IT admins are creative in solving the problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhaps the most common alternative to a user directory is manual user management. IT admins hand-provision users on devices (laptops, desktops, and servers) and applications. When users leave, they manually delete them from IT resources. Admins often will create spreadsheets to manage the details of user access or some will script the process of provisioning and deprovisioning users to create some automation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With a limited number of users, platforms, and applications, manual management is a reasonable approach to controlling access. Business continuity and security, of course, can be compromised in this scenario. There are often only a few IT admins at an organization, and the job can become bigger than they can manage, especially when you consider that the average business ends up using 50+ web-based applications<\/a> (and that\u2019s just one type of resource). Further, security takes a back seat as admins in this scenario struggle to find the time to apply best practices like enforcing complex passwords.<\/p>\n\n\n For organizations that have grown up in the cloud, or who have embraced DevOps, tools like Puppet, Chef, Salt, or Ansible (among many others) offer a centralized management tool that can provide user management on servers in small organizations. These tools allow IT admins to provision users, primarily on production systems (as they are not often used in development, test, or desktop environments), via a central set of scripts. The downside to these tools is that they achieve this through the use of scripting, and each change requires a code change. Further, these scripts become very complex when exceptions are needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time an organization reaches twenty to thirty users, these exceptions become common, as do third-party audits, which require fine-grained access control. Configuration management tools do not handle these types of requirements well and nor do they generally support strict compliance activities. In addition, configuration management tools do not satisfy the user management needs of IT for their desktops, laptops, and applications.<\/p>\n\n\n Google services have become a standard for small to medium-sized enterprises. Organizations manage a directory of sorts by placing their users in G Suite. The users then have access to a number of Google services and they can also use their Google credentials with a select, few other web-based applications and services. Unfortunately, G Suite Directory does not extend to devices such as a user\u2019s desktop or laptop, servers hosted at AWS or Azure, on-prem applications, WiFi, file servers, and more. The result is that an organization\u2019s core infrastructure \u2013 whether on-prem or in the cloud needs to be managed in a different way outside of G Suite\u2019s “directory.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n Innovative organizations don\u2019t settle for these issues with directory services. IT admins at these companies know that a central user directory is absolutely imperative. It\u2019s arguably the most critical piece of infrastructure within an IT organization. Manually managing users, trying to script the process, or leveraging vendor specific solutions is not good enough. <\/p>\n\n\n\n SSO solutions<\/a>, while valuable, don\u2019t give IT admins the level of control that they desire. Microsoft\u2019s Azure AD is a complement to the on-prem AD, not a replacement. As a result, while most organizations go without a central directory, modern, innovative companies opt for a cloud directory service\u2014JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n JumpCloud eliminates many of the roadblocks that organizations face with an identity provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a hosted directory service, there is no infrastructure for IT admins to implement or manage. That means that things like backups, upgrades, security, networking, and maintenance are all handled for you. As a result, a cloud directory takes less time and expertise, making it ideal for mixed platform, cloud-forward environments.<\/p>\n\n\n Perhaps the most critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is the ability for it to function as the central identity management platform for virtually all IT resources including devices, applications, file servers, networks, and cloud\/Web infrastructure. JumpCloud leverages multiple authentication protocols including a device\u2019s native authentication, LDAP, RADIUS, SSH, TOTP, and SAML. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This enables the SaaS-based central directory service to control desktops, laptops, and servers whether on-prem or in the cloud. Further, LDAP and SAML authentication enables JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service to control access over applications both internal and web-based. RADIUS connects users to networks, including WiFi. SSH and TOTP, while not exactly authentication protocols, can be leveraged to securely access systems and applications. A cloud directory services solution supports the modern IT infrastructure that companies are using and moving to.<\/p>\n\n\n Another critical aspect of JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is that it is cost-effective. Because of its SaaS-based approach, organizations only pay for what they use, so the solution becomes scalable. Further, there are no separate hardware, software, and implementation \/ professional services costs. A simple, monthly or annual subscription model covers what organizations need for their identity management needs.<\/p>\n\n\n For organizations that don\u2019t have a formal user directory solution, JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service is an ideal approach.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information on JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, contact JumpCloud<\/a> or give our cloud-based directory service a try<\/a>. Your first 10 users are free forever.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThe organization is too small.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cNo on-prem infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t support modern IT infrastructure.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo complicated to implement.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\u201cToo expensive to run.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHow Organizations Operate without a Directory Service<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Manual Management<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nConfiguration Management Tools<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nG Suite Directory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nJumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service, the Solution for No Directory Situations<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Completely Cloud-Based<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nComprehensive Identity Provider<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nCost Effective<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n