My advice is not to try to line things up in Visio using a mouse - use the shape size/position window and pick nice round numbers e.g.
X:0 Y:0 for the first OU X:20 Y:0 for the second OU X:30 Y:0 for the third OU Indent by e.g. 10mm for each sub OU Create a couple of "trees" so that you don't end up with one huge long "list" of OUs Visio 2013 will provide auto-guides to help line up subsequent objects after you've done the first few, with the same spacing etc. I've done AD OU designs for pretty large orgs (up to 80K users) in Visio without issues, and 50 OUs isn't really that much. I wouldn't try to do the design on a projector in real-time though. Get your design principles, delegation model, security requirements etc. signed off first, and then the OU design naturally flows from that. You should be able to print out 1-2 A3 sheets, and get that signed off. Cheers Ken -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Liechty Sent: Tuesday, 15 July 2014 9:47 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] AD OU Modeling tools My starting point is something like 400 OU, finish gin will be less than 50. Trying to get that many lined up in Visio becomes a major pain for little value (I think) compared to being easily able to build and rename folders in explorer at will. Again, I am not sure if the idea is good or bad and am open to whatever ideas others have done. The exports of the current config to Visio have been priceless. The export of the as-built to Visio will also be great. It is the design and modeling that I am looking for ideas on. They fired the last guy who was working on the design when the visa model he tried to present printed to 20 plus pages....... he was trying too please everyone and it did not work out well. I figure we will debate crap like OU names and if i can have a quick and easy interface to do so on the projector things will end better for me :) On Jul 14, 2014, at 4:40 PM, Ken Schaefer <[email protected]> wrote: > Why does building a new model "suck" in Visio? > > Cheers > Ken > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mark Liechty > Sent: Tuesday, 15 July 2014 8:41 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [NTSysADM] AD OU Modeling tools > > On Jul 14, 2014, at 3:29 PM, Kurt Buff <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Perhaps this: >> http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=13380 >> >> "The Microsoft Active Directory Topology Diagrammer reads an Active >> Directory configuration using LDAP, and then automatically generates >> a Visio diagram of your Active Directory and /or your Exchange >> Server topology. The diagramms may include domains, sites, servers, >> organizational units, DFS-R, administrative groups, routing groups >> and connectors and can be changed manually in Visio if needed." >> ######### > > Thanks Kurt, at least I am on the right track. > > I have played with that tool a bit. The problem seems to be that when you get > a couple of hundred OU the diagrams are really hard to work with and building > a new model sucks in Visio. Hence my thought that for the purpose of putting > the concepts together explorer and folders may be workable. > > Lot of people have done a lot of cool things and i figured asking here may > stir up answers that I have both thought of. > > > > > >
