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compdigit44

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Windows 2012 R2 ADFS Farm

ADFS is already setup in our environment and we would like to add another server for redundancy. From what I have read you can use a gMSA service account or domain user. We are not running any Windows 2012 R2 DC's yet but is there any downsides of using the domain user account now then changing it later on.  Also but services in the farm will be able to sync their configs correct? We have a lot of claim rules and would had to recreate them. Some of my coworkers think this will only work with a gMSA which I believe to be incorrect?

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/azure/dn528860.aspx
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Mahesh
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Its not mandatory to use GMSA account to setup 2012 R2 Adfs for any scenarios including setup Adfs for device registration / workplace join etc.
Adfs will work with standard service account as well
GMSA resolves normal service account issues like account lockout, forgotten password etc as its password is nothing but auto generated machine password and its update automatically without user intervention as opposed to standard service account

You can use GMSA as long as you have 2012 AD schema and at least one domain controller running on 2012 server version
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj128431(v=ws.11).aspx

You may use standard AD account as Adfs service account now and later on can change it to GMSA when you got 2012 / 2012 r2 domain controllers, you need to change below settings while changing Adfs service account

You need to change Adfs service account on primary adfs server 1st
Then change it on 2ndary Adfs servers one by one
Logon to Adfs proxy servers and ensure they are able to talk to Adfs server, if there are any issues, you can set below registry on those servers
Path: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\ADFS and navigate to ProxyConfigurationStatus and set its value to 1
This will allow to reconfigure Adfs proxy wizard and within minutes you will be back in business
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/rmilne/2015/04/20/adfs-2012-r2-web-application-proxy-re-establish-proxy-trust/

Apart from above no claim rules will break and all Adfs configuration including sync will be synced across all Adfs servers from primary to secondary if you using Windows Internal Database (WID) or across all primary Adfs servers if you use full SQL server as database where all Adfs servers act as primary
Changing service account won't delete any rules / change any Adfs configuration

Mahesh.
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compdigit44

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Thank you very much. Can you  send me a link to a document stat that a regular  domain user account can be used the changed to a gMsa later on. Also there are no issue sync the ADFS  services when using a domain user account correct?
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Mahesh
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