70-410 Objective 5.3 – Active Directory Group Conversion on Windows Server 2012 R2

Active Directory Group Conversion is covered as Objective 5.3 for the 70-410 Exam. Conversion of groups from Domain Local to Global Group is not directly possible. Also conversion from Global Group to Domain Local is not directly possible. However, it is possible by converting to a Universal Group first then converting to the desired group. It is not directly possible, not because it is not common to do so. It is not directly possible because of the availability of Domain Local group outside of the Active Directory domain. This carries consequence to the memberships along with those groups to be converted.

The rules are a Domain Local Group is only permitted to be converted to a Universal Group, if there are no other Domain Local groups as members. There is no limitation on converting a Universal Group to a Domain Local Group. On the other hand, a Global Group is only permitted to be converted to a Universal Group. If the Global Group is not a member of another Global Group, only then can it be converted. A Universal Group can only be converted to a Global Group, if it doesn’t have any other Universal Group as members.

In the lab we create a brand new Global Group in Active Directory. We then try to convert the group directly to a Domain Local group, but the option is grayed out not allowing us. So we convert the group to a Universal Group, then to a Domain Local Group. After conversion the option to directly convert it to a Global Group is grayed out. We then examine the rules of converting a Global Group to a Universal by adding the group to be converted as a member of another Global Group. When we try to convert it fails. We then try to same with a Domain Local Group converting to a Universal Group and find it fails. If another Domain Local Group is a member. This is because when converted to a Universal Group, it can’t have members from a local domain such as a Domain Local Group. We then examine Universal Group conversion.

Introduction – 0:10

Creating of a new Global Group – 0:22

Example of indirect group conversion – 0:36

Rule in conversion of a Global Group with example – 1:10

Rule in conversion of a Domain Local Group with example – 2:09

Rule in conversion of a Universal Group with example – 3:03

Table of Active Directory Group conversion – 3:45