PLEnsuring Business Continuity Through Active Directory & Entra ID Managed Services for a Global Oil and Gas Company
Customer Sitution
A global oil and gas company faced significant challenges in existing infrastructure and support services. Their environment included:
- An Active Directory (AD) domain synchronized with Entra ID and Office 365.
- A widely distributed AD infrastructure spanning multiple locations and data centers, managed by a third-party organization.
Key issues included:
- Limited ability to manage their on-premises AD and Entra ID.
- Recurring synchronization and passthrough authentication issues between AD and Entra ID, with no effective or final resolution in place.
- Critical dependencies on the synchronization hub for user and application identity verification.
- Lack of documentation for the current setup and insufficient support from the existing supplier.
These challenges posed risks to business continuity, necessitating a reliable solution and efficient support services.
Partner Solution
ISCG implemented SLA-based Managed Services to address these challenges effectively:
1️⃣ Transition and Onboarding: Delivered a seamless transition from the previous supplier within one month, ensuring uninterrupted operations. Established a fully operational support model immediately after the transition.
2️⃣ Scope of Services:
To address the client’s challenges, we implemented services in the following key areas:
- Synchronization Hub Management: Ensuring reliable synchronization between AD and Entra ID.
- Microsoft Infrastructure Management: Covering Entra Connect, DNS, and Entra ID services.
- Monitoring and Recovery: Providing continuous monitoring of AD, DHCP infrastructure, and time server services, as well as robust recovery mechanisms.
- Logical and Physical AD Management: Maintaining and optimizing directory infrastructure.
3️⃣ Proactive Incident Reduction: Through proactive monitoring and management, we reduced the number of incidents and service requests over a six-month period.
4️⃣ Continuous Improvement Culture: Promoted a culture of continuous improvement, delivering effective processes to cover both business improvement and IT cost optimization.
5️⃣ Technical and Services Roadmap: Designed and delivered the Active Directory roadmap to improve the capacity, availability, and security of the solution.
6️⃣ Business Continuity Assurance: Delivered reliable identity verification for users and applications by stabilizing the synchronization hub and passthrough authentication.
Key Drivers & Business Objectives
- Ensure uninterrupted business operations during the infrastructure transition.
- Stabilize identity verification processes for users and applications.
- Reduce the volume of incidents and service requests.
- Promote a culture of continuous improvement in IT operations.
Value Provided & Business Outcomes
- Successful Transition: Completed the transition from the previous supplier within one month without service disruption.
- Incident Reduction: Achieved a noticeable decrease in incidents and service requests over six months.
- Consistent SLA Performance: No significant breaches of SLA or KPIs since the contract’s inception.
- Enhanced Support: Provided a robust and reliable solution for managing critical AD and Entra ID dependencies.
Win Insights
- ISCG’s expertise ensured a smooth transition, stabilizing critical services.
- Proactive incident management minimized disruptions and improved operational efficiency.
- Transparent and adaptive service delivery built trust with the client.
Lessons Learned
- Early and seamless transitions are crucial for ensuring operational stability.
- A proactive approach to incident management prevents recurring issues.
- Comprehensive documentation and support are vital to maintain business continuity.