Before we start to figure out how many forests, domains, and domain controllers to create, we need to gather some data to help us make an accurate design that agrees with the core business requirements.
Understanding the organizational structure correctly is vital to designing an identity infrastructure. An organizational chart is a good place to start. It will give you an idea of who you need to ask questions to in order to collect the specific data that will help in your design.
For example, if you need to know what your software development department requires from the directory services, the best person to talk to will be the technical lead or architect of the team. They will be able to give you the exact answer you are looking for. If you ask the same question to the managing director, the answer may not be that accurate. So, before you seek the answers to your questions, you need to find the correct source.
When we gather business data, we need to consider the following:
- Who are these changes applicable to? Is this going to be a company-wide change or it is only going to apply for certain user groups, business units, or departments?
- Who can explain the requirements in detail?
- What are the authentication and authorization requirements?
- What are the security requirements?
- When does the solution need to be in place?
- What is the budget?