FAQ

Q: We migrated to AD a while ago and set up a load of delegated permissions, but we now we don't know who can do what.  How do we clean it all up?
A: This is a common problem.  Native AD tools have the ability to establish delegated permissions, but no simple way to identify and report on those delegations.  Active Administrator makes it easy to find permissions assigned and generate reports to begin the cleanup process.

Q: Do I need to have a 2003 or 2008 Domain Controller?  Will it work with Windows 2000?  Does it support Windows Server 2008?
A: Active Administrator works great in Active Directory built on Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2008, or any mixture of them.  One important note is that to use the object-level Restore function you must have at least one Windows 2003 or 2008 Domain Controller.

Q: Doesn't Windows come with built-in AD tools?
A: Windows comes with some AD management tools out of the box, but these tools are limited in functionality and management scope, leaving administrators wanting a more complete management solution.  This is the very reason Active Administrator was created - Active Administrator picks up where the native tools leave off.  With advanced security administration capabilities, delegation with Active Templates, GPO management, and (new in version 4) object-level AD restores, Active Administrator is a far superior and comprehensive AD management tool.  

Q: I already use Microsoft Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) for my Group Policy Management.  Why do I need Active Administrator?
A: Active Administrator manages GPOs and runs RSoP reports in both Windows 2000 and 2003 Server environments.  Active Administrator offers a complete GPO management solution including offline GPO management, GPO history rollbacks, and auditing and reporting of all AD changes.  For a more comprehensive comparison at the Group Policy Management features found in Active Administrator and GPMC, take a look at our Group Policy Management Comparison Matrix.  Beyond Group Policy management, Active Administrator also manages AD security, role-based delegation of AD permissions with Active Templates, auditing of AD management and object-level restores of Active Directory.

Q: Can I find out who changed what and when in AD?  Even going back 12 months?
A: YES!  Active Administrator maintains its own auditing database.  Providing you have ample disk space to store the audit data, or have archived old entries from your database, you can go as far back as the data you are keeping allows you to.  

Q: Is there really an "undo" function for AD in Active Administrator?  
A: Active Administrator’s AD Object Restore capability allows administrators to restore deleted objects, down to the attribute level.  This essentially gives administrators an undo on mistaken deletes or modifications of all objects – user accounts, groups or even entire OUs.  In addition, the GPO History function allows for easy corrections to unwanted Group Policy changes.  

Q: What formats does AA support for generating reports on AD?  
A: AA supports a wide variety of common formats including RTF, PDF, HTML, XLS, TIF, RDF, and Text.  

Q: How is AA licensed?
A: Active Administrator’s licensing is based on the number of user objects being managed.  So if your Active Directory environment supports 1800 users, you would need 1800 licenses of Active Administrator.  

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