Does a small business need a domain controller?

RaveyDaveyUK · 6 Jan 2022 at 13:09

I know very little about networks, so apologies if this is a bigger question... asking for a friend.

Assume a company of 25 people, 6 admin and 19 professionals. They currently have an onsite DC server, but everything they use is in the cloud. o365 for email, doc storage etc, hosted client management software and hosted av/security software.

Do they need a DC server?

Mujja · 6 Jan 2022 at 13:15

Depends what else the current server is used for, DHCP, DNS, Group Policy, Print server?
You could replace the first two easily.

Spleen Sauce · 6 Jan 2022 at 14:11

As long as you've got something else that does DHCP and DNS (firewall or managed switch for example) then no. You could Azure AD join the machines and govern them with Intune. Thats what we do anyway, works well.

Caged · 6 Jan 2022 at 14:18

Depends what it does, but for a company that small I'd want to get everything onto Azure AD with Intune management and ditch the on-prem stuff.

RaveyDaveyUK · 6 Jan 2022 at 16:44

Thanks. Always appreciated. I think their plan is to ditch the onsite stuff.

I will pass on your comments.

HEADRAT · 10 Jan 2022 at 10:08

Caged said:
Depends what it does, but for a company that small I'd want to get everything onto Azure AD with Intune management and ditch the on-prem stuff.

100% agree with that.