Enterprise Active Directory

Based on Microsoft Active Directory, NCDIT’s Enterprise Active Directory Service provides your agency with a centralized, authoritative directory of network-based resources, such as computers, printers, applications, file shares and user data. 

EADS makes it possible for your agency to reduce both infrastructure and operating costs while securing access to network resources. This service also enables you to enforce security policies, manage software installations and updates as well as assist with identity management.

Request Enterprise Active Directory

Getting Help

Support Get Technical Support
NCDIT Service Desk: 919-754-6000
Support Hours 24/7
Tab/Accordion Items

Features

  • Overall forest and domain architecture, design and maintenance, as well as backup and restore capabilities 
  • User provisioning and deprovisioning, as well as provisioning of separate accounts to perform administrative tasks, per state security policy
  • Simplified directory management and automation with enterprise tools, including group policy management with Advanced Group Policy Management
  • Enterprise-level hosting infrastructure with core components redundant across NCDIT's two data centers
  • Enterprise application authentication environment and public key infrastructure service for internal and private servers, websites and more
  • Proactive maintenance, planning and monitoring with environment reviews that include security, group policy and best practice standards within the enterprise
  • Robust, transparent communication and collaboration between the EADS service team and agency stakeholders 
  • Application and operating system patching applied in lower environments prior to production to allow for customer testing
  • Integrated with NCID to authenticate users leveraging SAML technology, which enables securely authenticating any NCID account user without incurring additional infrastructure cost and complexity for the agency

Service teams can also provide consultation for migration support and disaster recovery efforts for subscribing agencies.

See the Technical Information section for more information. 

Benefits

  • Professionally implemented and managed solutions to ensure the highest reliability and a problem-free environment
  • High-quality solutions and services at an economical cost
  • Robust and managed security compliant with state security policy
  • Secure authentication of any user with an NCID account without additional infrastructure cost or complexity

Request Process

To request this service, or for more information, submit a ticket using the NCDIT Service Portal.

Authorization

  • Service requests that incur a cost to the agency will typically require approval from the requesting agency’s CIO, financial officer or manager, depending upon your agency's requirements. 
  • Any staff with access to the NCDIT Service Portal may engage the team for support or information.

Requirements & Customer Responsibility

Required NCDIT ServicesNone
Other Technical Requirements & Prerequisites
  • Current Microsoft-supported operating system
  • Current NCDIT vendor-supported hardware
  • Communication between agency site devices and the Enterprise Directory at the state's data centers
Customer Responsibility
  • Agency staff are required to submit a ticket using the NCDIT Service Portal for additional support or information regarding this service. 
  • The staff and agency receiving services are also responsible for coordination with their desktop team to enable EADS. 
  • Other technical responsibilities include:
    • Agency application servers and associated data
    • Agency file/print servers and associated data
    • Client machines and devices
    • Backing up/restoring applications and file/print server data
    • Support and maintenance of all non-Windows products connected to the Enterprise Active Directory
    • Creating, testing and approval of agency-specific Group Policy Objects
    • Designating customer support staff with delegated administrative rights within the Enterprise Active Directory portal for group and device management
    • Collaborating with directory services to anticipate changes in service demands prior to the purchase of any new applications or hardware that might have an impact on the enterprise

Expected Delivery

Acknowledgment TimeThe service team should acknowledge a service request within about 2-3 business days.
Turnaround Time
  • The service team should be able to complete a well-defined service request within about a week.
  • Procurement and licensing steps required before the delivery of services may extend the timeline.  

Customers

Suggested ForAll North Carolina state agencies
Required ForNone
Spotlight Customers
  • N.C. Department of Health and Human Services 
  • N.C. Department of Public Safety
  • N.C. Department of Information Technology

Support Process
  • Submit a ticket using the NCDIT Service Portal or contact the NCDIT Service Desk at 919-754-6000.
  • Self-service training resources are provided to staff. The agency will need to designate staff with EADS administrator role responsibilities. Instruction is provided during application set-up.
Service Support HoursSupport for the service is available 24/7.
Service AvailabilityThe service is available 24/7, excluding planned outages and maintenance windows.
Standard Maintenance Windows
  • Thursdays: 4-7 a.m.
  • Sundays: 12-10 a.m.
Service Communications
  • Changes or outages that might have an impact on customers are communicated through the NCDIT Communications Hub and Agency Change Advisory Board. 
  • The agency's admin for this service will support communications to the agency users of the service..
Service Level Agreements

  • Approved rates for this service are published in the NCDIT Rate Schedule.
    • $4.78 per active user per month
    • Consulting services: $80.62 per hour worked 
  • Other costs that could be applicable, such as training, and staff to support the responsibilities of the administrator role.  
     

View NCDIT Rate Schedule

Active Directory is an object-oriented implementation of directory services based on X.500 and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. It allows construction of sophisticated naming schemes and databases across network-wide resources. Active Directory was developed as a hierarchical design with multiple levels of organizational units, users, groups and other network resources.

NCDIT personnel control the Active Directory infrastructure, which includes these components:

  • Forests and domains
  • Domain controllers
  • Schema
  • Group policies
  • Replication topology
  • High-level administrator accounts

Enterprise Active Directory Service Responsibilities

  • Overall forest and domain architecture, design and maintenance
  • Domain controller implementation, security and management; schema management; group policies; replication topology; sites and services; trust relationships; DNS; Organizational Unit design and management; delegation of rights; built-in group management; forest and domain security; directory-based account management
  • Active Directory backups and restores
  • Participation in disaster recovery and business recovery services as requested by agencies
     

Training & Help 

Enterprise Directory Services SharePoint Portal

Other Related Links

None

Related NCDIT Services

N.C. Identity Management (NCID)