This article describes how Activate finds Domain Controllers (DC's) within Active Directory. Activate attempts to find a close DC to a particular computer during a number of operations, like creating a mailbox, resetting a password and adding a user to a folder.

Activate utilizes the standard Windows mechanism with some extensions for non-windows machines. The underlying windows mechanism is described here http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247811. This uses DNS entries to find the appropriate information based on Active Directory sites and sub-sites.

Activate tries the following process to find a DC for the a specified computer.

1. It uses the underlying DsGetDCName in windows to connect to the specified computer and request a domain controller in the specified domain.

2. If the remote machine is not a windows machine for returns and error. The following process is used to attempt to find a valid domain controller in the specified domain.

1. Look up the IP Address of the machine in Active Directory. (DNS must be working)

2. Resolve the IP Address to a valid Site in Active Directory using DsAddressToSiteNames on the local domain controller.

3. Look up a domain controller in the returned site using DsGetDCName

3. If the above fails then a DC cannot be found.

If Activate fails to find a DC it logs and error in the following format

"Unable to find DC for [COMPUTERNAME] from [DOMAIN]/[SITE]"

This means that windows could not find a DC for the specified computer in the domain near the site specified and generally means that Active Directory is not configured correctly.

1. Check that the IP address for the [TargetComputer] is specified as a valid site in Active Directory Sites.

2. Check network and DNS settings on the [TargetComputer]

3. Check AD replication (does the DC near the target machine have the correct DNS information)

4. Check or remove dead domain controllers.

5. Check trustees and name resolution for remote domains

From the Activate server open a command line

Check that you can resolve and connect to the specified computer. Resolve any access denied or name resolution issues.

nltest /server:[TargetComputer] /dsgetdc:[DOMAIN]

This will probably fail is Activate is failing. DCDiag can be used to further diagnose root caused.

nltest /server:[TargetComputer] /dsgetsite

A detailed trouble shooting guide for the underlying windows process is located in this article. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/247811

Active Directory Primary Group

How Activate Finds Domain Controllers

Microsoft’s cloud platform providing infrastructure, networking, storage, and application services. In Activate, it’s used as the hosting environment or for integration with Microsoft 365 and Entra ID services.

Azure

DotNetVersion

Microsoft Entra Connect (formerly Azure AD Connect) is a tool that syncs on-premises Active Directory identities with Microsoft Entra ID, enabling hybrid identity and seamless access to cloud resources.

Microsoft_Entra_Connect

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft’s directory service that stores and manages user accounts, devices, and permissions, enabling secure authentication and centralized access control within a Windows network.

Active_Directory

ActivateJobService

ActivateAdministrator

SupportedPowerShellVersions

SupportedOSVersions

SupportedSQLVersions

Name that identifies the instance of Activate.  This is only used by Administrators and isn't displayed to end users.

instance_name

An installation type of Activate where there is no local domain connection, all authentication, authorisation and identity management is handled by Entra ID.

Cloud_Only

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is Microsoft’s cloud-based identity and access management service, providing secure authentication, user lifecycle management, and access control for Microsoft 365 and other apps.

Microsoft_Entra_ID

A software switch that enables or disables functionality at runtime without redeploying code. In Activate, they are configured under //Resources/Configuration/FeatureFlags.

feature_flag

Microsoft module for managing Exchange Online, using modern authentication and REST API–based cmdlets for faster, more reliable automation of mailboxes, compliance, and organisation settings.

EXO_V3_PowerShell_Module

An Organizational Unit (OU) is a container in Active Directory used to organise users, groups, computers, and other objects within a domain. OUs help structure resources logically and apply group policies for easier management and administration.

A User Type is a template in Activate that defines rules, attributes, and behaviours for a category of users (e.g., Employee, Contractor), ensuring consistent user account setup and configuration.

User_Type

A resource object in Activate representing a physical or virtual Exchange Server

Exchange_Server_Resource

Defines the object type that the resource will emulate or operate as.

Class_parameter

Clonesthe selected inherited parameter to make a local copy to override the value

Override

Runs the Activate Provisioning Server and performs actions across target systems.

Orchestrator_Account

A complete, immutable log of identity-related events, including provisioning actions, access approvals, and policy evaluations.

Audit_Trail

An integration module that enables Activate to read/write data from external systems (e.g., provisioning accounts in Azure AD).

Connector

A periodic process where managers or data owners validate that users still require their existing access — critical for compliance.

Access_Certification_and_Review

A user-initiated process to gain access to new systems or roles, often requiring manager or system owner approval.

Access_Request

Any downstream application or service where identities need access (e.g., Active Directory, Okta, Salesforce).

Target_System

The authoritative system from which identity data is imported (e.g., HRIS like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors).

Identity_Source

An access control model that uses user, resource, or environment attributes (e.g., department = "HR", location = "US") to make access decisions dynamically.

ABAC_Attribute-Based_Access_Control

An access control model where users receive permissions based on assigned roles. This model helps enforce least privilege.

RBAC_Role-Based_Access_Control

A collection of entitlements assigned based on a user’s job function or department. Roles simplify access management and are often tied to policies (e.g., "Finance Analyst Role").

Role

A specific access right or permission within a system (e.g., "Read-only access to Salesforce Reports"). Entitlements can be grouped into roles.

Entitlement

The removal or disabling of user accounts and access when they are no longer required — for example, when an employee leaves the organization.

Deprovisioning

The automated process of creating accounts and granting access to systems or applications based on a user’s role or attributes.

Provisioning

A digital representation of a user (employee, contractor, service account, etc.) within an organization. Each identity is typically linked to a unique identifier, such as an email address or employee ID.

Identity

This is the process of bringing on a new user

Onboarding

Hierarchical Role-Based Provisioning automates user access by assigning roles based on organisational structure, ensuring users inherit the correct permissions and resources aligned to their position or function.

Hierarchical_Role-Based_Provisioning

A group email address that automatically forwards messages to all its members, allowing you to send emails to multiple recipients at once.

Distribution_List

An expression is a conditional statement using Activate expression syntax.

expression

AzureProductName

How to Configure Activate for other Trusted Domains

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