Just saw this thread as well... Couple thoughts:
1. Hopefully your design is repeatable/predictable enough that you shouldn't need to show every single OU to communicate the design philosophy. 2. Plan on using multiple drawings for different components (structure, delegation, Group Policy, etc.). You can play with layers in Visio also if you want as an alternative. 3. I've more or less fired Visio as the tool for this and do most of it in PowerPoint now. I have the whole design deliverable packaged up in a nice deck. It's easy to quickly customize and present to different audiences and it's straight to the point. I used to have this 100 page Word Document I always delivered but I have more or less put that thing in the graveyard. Thanks, Brian Thanks, Brian Desmond [email protected] w - 312.625.1438 | c - 312.731.3132 > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > On Behalf Of Ken Schaefer > Sent: Monday, July 14, 2014 5:10 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [NTSysADM] AD OU Modeling tools > > 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. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
