Microsoft Azure Architect Design (AZ-301) Practice Exam

For a cloud migration of applications dependent on Active Directory, which solution minimizes management overhead while removing the need for hybrid connectivity?

1. Deploy additional domain controllers in Azure

2. Implement Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)

3. Implement a new Active Directory forest in Azure

4. Deploy a child domain in Azure

The correct answer is: Implement Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS)

Choosing to implement Azure Active Directory Domain Services (Azure AD DS) effectively minimizes management overhead while addressing the need to remove hybrid connectivity for applications dependent on Active Directory. Azure AD DS offers managed domain services like domain join, group policy, and Kerberos/NTLM authentication, without the complexity of maintaining your own Active Directory infrastructure in Azure. This service eliminates the need for deploying, managing, and monitoring additional domain controllers or creating a new forest, thus significantly reducing the administrative effort involved in traditional AD setups. Furthermore, with Azure AD DS, there’s no requirement for a VPN or ExpressRoute connection to an on-premises Active Directory, which simplifies the network architecture and reduces potential points of failure. Applications that require Active Directory can leverage Azure AD DS for authentication and authorization, facilitating a smoother transition to the cloud while ensuring that management overhead is kept to a minimum. In contrast, deploying additional domain controllers in Azure, implementing a new forest, or creating a child domain all involve more complexity and ongoing management. Each of these approaches would require careful consideration of synchronization, security updates, and infrastructure management, which Azure AD DS effectively abstracts away.