Active Directory Transformation for a UK Bank

Our client wished to upgrade and standardise their strategic Active Directory environment on the Microsoft Windows Server Active Directory Domain Services platform. The client had a complex Active Directory environment consisting of multiple Active Directory domains, hosted on over 400 domain controllers located in over 20 countries globally. The client had a number of security and operational risks associated with their current Active Directory environment which would be removed by the upgrade to the new Windows Server operating system platform. Their business required a strong foundation for enterprise identity and the deployment of new banking services.

Quorum has a long history of successful delivery with this client and was selected as a trusted partner to deliver this transformation programme.

The Challenge

• Providing a modern and current Active Directory infrastructure which supports future initiatives that depend on current operating systems e.g. Windows 10, Microsoft Dynamics, Azure Cloud and Office365.
• The removal of legacy/unsupported operating systems where the client might be paying for expensive custom support agreements.
• The removal of operational risks and/or security exposure that comes with legacy operating systems which are out of support.
• The consolidation and simplification of the Active Directory environment which makes it easier to support operationally.

Our Solution

Our long-standing relationship with the client meant Quorum understood the complexities of delivering a large transformation programme within a tightly governed environment with strong focus on maintaining customer service throughout. Quorum understood in detail the client’s technology, project delivery framework, and change governance processes. We built a bespoke solution and efficient delivery approach to maximise the chances of success for the client. Quorum defined the solution and approach that would upgrade all the client’s Active Directory environments, each going through a common approach of discovery, analysis & design, testing, infrastructure readiness, production implementation, and warranty. All following the Microsoft best practise approach. Quorum identified and remediated any issues with the existing production service before the upgrade took place. The analysis & design phase optimised the deployment of domain controllers and took advantage of virtualisation capabilities. By testing the upgrade approach in a ‘production like’ environment, this maximised the value of testing and more accurately validated the upgrade process.

The Result

Quorum in partnership with Microsoft were able to deliver a successful transformation of the Active Directory environment with no impact to the existing service and 100% uptime during the change activity. The upgraded Active Directory environment has resulted in the closure of a number of risks owned by the client and met the original project objectives to simplify the environment and enable future business services. This programme was considered one of the most successful large scale programmes of enablement with the bank in recent years.

Contact us today to see how we can deliver Active Directory Transformation in your business to enhance security and enable cloud adoption.