Active Directory is the login you use to sign into your computer and access network share drives supported by MERIT or WCER Research IT (i.e., H, N, P, or S drives). Your NetID is a different Active Directory login hosted by campus that you use to access your email and other campus resources. The Active Directory Configuration Change Project aims to simplify your computer use by changing you to just one login for all these things.

This project will provide you with a better, easier, and safer computer experience by consolidating your typical computer logins into a single one.

In light of recent security breaches nationally and locally, there is a clear and present need to manage and reduce risk across UW Madison. The existence of multiple individually managed Active Directories across campus poses significant risks to campus and is a barrier to advancing campus-wide cybersecurity controls. Reducing the number of domains on campus by migrating them into Campus Active Directory (CAD) is the most effective and sustainable strategy for reducing attack surface area, applying consistent domain policy and practices, consolidating infrastructure to enable the implementation of modern cybersecurity tooling, and reducing the complexity of campus-wide services leveraging S/C/D Active Directories.

Each department and project will be migrated together as a group, with the exception of WIDA, which will be migrated in several logical groups.  We contacted your department chair/director/PI and admins to help determine the best time for you to migrate.  Individual timelines and more detailed communication will be sent to you as your migration date nears.

You will begin using your NetID to login to your computer, file shares, and VPN. Other than changing your username and password to log into your computer and other services, you shouldn’t experience any other changes. 

You will use the password associated with your NetID.  You will not need to change your NetID password.

Reboot your computer a day or two before your scheduled migration date to be sure all operating system updates have been applied.  If you are not on a campus desktop computer, be sure that you have a VPN setup and are able to connect to campus.  Directions can be found here: https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/105400.

You may not need to do anything, and this may not affect you.

If you use a VPN, be sure that you have it set up to use the uwmadison.vpn.wisc.edu portal.  Directions can be found here:https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/105619.

If you connect to a SoE/WCER hosted share drive, your login will change from SoE-ad/username to ad/NetID.

1. Ensure your computer(s) are turned on and logged in before migration. 

2. If you are on a wireless connection or working remotely, ensure you are logged onto the VPN. https://kb.wisc.edu/helpdesk/90370

3. Once the migration begins, a prompt will appear on the screen. Enter your NetID password into that prompt, and your computer will automatically restart. 

4. After a restart, login with your NetID and password. The first login will likely take longer than usual, but this will only be the case for the first login after migrating.  After logging in, you will likely need to sign into some of your applications again, such as Office 365. 

If you are unable to have your computer on and ready for this change on your scheduled day, you will need to contact us to reschedule. Please reach out to your primary IT support unit to coordinate this.

MERIT - support@education.wisc.edu

WCER - support@wcer.wisc.edu

No, this will not affect your email address as your email address was already tied to your campus NetID.

Any change or migration has a chance of not being successful.  Following all of the steps that we send you will ensure the highest chance of a successful change.  If the change is not successful, you may not be able to log into your computer and/or access SoE resources until Quisitive and MERIT/WCER take individual steps to correct the change process for you.