Going “cloud-only” sounds simple on paper — just unplug the domain controllers, right?
In reality, it’s a project full of legacy landmines: stubborn GPOs, ancient line-of-business apps, mysterious shared drives, and that one server everyone swears “can’t ever move.”

We’ll break down the real blockers that keep you tied to on-prem AD, from identity and networking to apps and culture.
Then we’ll show you the modern replacements, migration patterns that actually work, and the pitfalls we’ve seen in the wild — so you don’t have to learn the hard way.
By the end, you’ll have a practical playbook for cutting the cord to AD without breaking your users (or your weekend).