Master Account Management policy
The Master Account Management policy is intended for multi-forest environments where logon-enabled master accounts of Skype for Business Server users are defined in Active Directory forests in which Skype for Business Server isn’t deployed, with each master account being represented by a shadow account (disabled user account or contact) in the Active Directory forest in which Skype for Business Server is deployed (see Multiple forests - Resource forest and Multiple forests - Central forest earlier in this document). The Master Account Management policy enables Active Roles to control master accounts of Skype for Business Server users, and operates in conjunction with the User Management policy that controls shadow accounts in the Skype for Business Server forest.
The Policy Object that holds this policy is in the Configuration/Policies/Administration/Builtin container. The name of the Policy Object is Built-in Policy - Skype for Business - Master Account Management. Depending upon your Active Directory topology, apply this Policy Object as follows to enable Skype for Business Server User Management in Active Roles.
Table 17: Applying the Built-in - Skype for Business - Master Account Management Policy Object
Single forest |
Do not apply this Policy Object |
Multiple forests - Resource forest |
Configure the Forest Mode policy setting by selecting the Resource forest option, and then apply this Policy Object to
Active Directory domains or containers that hold logon-enabled user accounts in external forests (master accounts) you want to administer by using Skype for Business Server User Management in Active Roles. |
Multiple forests - Central forest |
Configure the Forest Mode policy setting by selecting the Central forest option, and then apply this Policy Object to
Active Directory domains or containers that hold logon-enabled user accounts in external forests (master accounts) you want to administer by using Skype for Business Server User Management in Active Roles. |
Master Account Management policy settings
The topics in this section cover the Master Account Management policy settings.
Skype for Business Server forest mode
The Master Account Management policy is intended for multi-forest environments where the Skype for Business Server forest is used either as a resource forest or as a central forest. In the central forest mode, the Skype for Business Server forest may hold logon-enabled Skype for Business Server user accounts in addition to shadow accounts (contacts) for Skype for Business Server users from external forests. In the resource forest mode, the Skype for Business Server forest holds only shadow accounts (logon-disabled user accounts) for Skype for Business Server users from external forests. The Forest Mode policy setting allows you to choose the option that matches the Skype for Business Server forest mode in your Skype for Business Server deployment:
- Resource forest The policy creates and administers logon-disabled user accounts as shadow accounts for Skype for Business Server users from external forests. The user account from an external forest, referred to as a master account, is linked and synchronized with the shadow account that is enabled for Skype for Business Server in the Skype for Business Server forest.
- Central forest The policy creates and administers contact objects as shadow accounts for Skype for Business Server users from external forests. The user account from an external forest, referred to as a master account, is linked and synchronizes with the contact that is enabled for Skype for Business Server in the Skype for Business Server forest.
Container for new shadow accounts
The Master Account Management policy allows you to specify the container in which you want Active Roles to create shadow accounts when enabling master accounts for Skype for Business Server. You can select the desired organizational unit in the Skype for Business Server forest or you can let Active Roles choose the default container.
If you select a particular organizational unit, Active Roles creates shadow accounts in that organizational unit. You can select an organizational unit from any domain of the Skype for Business Server forest that is registered with Active Roles as a managed domain.
If you let Active Roles choose the default container for new shadow aActive Rolesccounts, then Active Roles creates shadow accounts in the Users container in a particular domain of the Skype for Business Server forest. If the forest root domain of the Skype for Business Server forest is registered with Active Roles as a managed domain, then Active Roles creates shadow accounts in that domain. Otherwise, Active Roles creates shadow accounts in the domain that appears first in the ordered list of the managed domains from the Skype for Business Server forest. Note that Active Roles requires at least one domain of the Skype for Business Server forest to be registered with Active Roles as a managed domain.