What is a recommended method for migrating Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)?

The recommended method for migrating Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT). This tool is specifically designed for migrating users, groups, and computers from one Active Directory domain to another. It streamlines the migration process by providing features such as user account migration, SID (Security Identifier) history migration, and support for migrating complex scenarios, including cross-forest migrations.

Using ADMT helps to automate many aspects of the migration process, reducing the potential for errors and ensuring that critical information, such as user permissions and group memberships, is preserved. The tool also allows for staged migrations, enabling the transition to occur in phases, which can minimize downtime and disruption for users.

While manual migration or re-creating the directory structure can be options, they often lead to increased risks of errors, require significant manual effort, and lack the efficiency and reliability that ADMT offers. Third-party tools may provide additional functionalities or features, but relying on a Microsoft-supported tool that is specifically designed for this purpose is typically the safest and most effective approach.