Question

Rename and move groups with Dsmove in Windows Server 2008 R2

Answer 1

Dsmove

This time we will see the usefulness of "DSMOVE" in relation to groups. Dsmove allows us to change the name of the groups and even, as the name suggests, move groups between different Organizational Units of the same domain.

With the following syntax we can start;

dsmove DNdelObject [-newname nuevonombre] [-newparent DNOUDestino]

After clarifying this, let's make a couple of examples:

To begin we will try to change the name of the group " grquagliano " to " grquagliano1 ". We run the Power Shell Tool and write the following command:

dsmove "CN = rquagliano1, OU = groups, DC = goya, DC = local" -newname "rquagliano1"

Now we open "Active Directory Users and Computers" to verify that the change has been made:

In the image we look for a group called "grquagliano1" and there is no longer the one we had before " grquagliano ".

Now we are going to make another configuration, moving a group. Let's move the group " grquagliano1 " to Unity
Organizational " users ". To perform this task, we will execute the following command:

dsmove "CN = grquagliano1, OU = groups, DC = goya, DC = local" -newparent "OU = users, DC = goya, OU = local"

We verified that the group " grquagliano1 " no longer exists in the Organizational Unit " groups ". Now we examine the Organizational Unit " users " because that is where the group has to be now. Effectively, we will find it in this Organizational Unit, in our container "users".

To finish with the explanation and not to leave the group where it is, let's see if we leave it as it was before starting the tutorial.

Therefore, we will change the group name " grquagliano1 " to " grquagliano " and move it to the " Groups " Organizational Unit. We will try to do the whole sentence in the same command line;

dsmove "CN = grquagliano1, OU = users, DC = goya, DC = local" -newname "grquagliano" -newparent "OU = groups, DC = goya, DC = local"

As always, we check in " Active Directory Users and Computers " that the group " grquagliano1 " in the Organizational Unit " users " no longer exists. Nor does it have to be with the new name " grquagliano ", since we have moved it to the " Groups " Organizational Unit and it is in this where it should be.

As it has to be, it is not in " users ". And now we check the Organizational Unit " groups ". If it is ok, we have everything to normal.

With this we will be doing our renaming and moving groups in our Domain. It is an alternative for those administrators who like the execution of command lines and leave aside the graphic interface a bit.

Ricardo Quagliano

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