Crash Test for Russian IT Infrastructure Platforms
Large-scale testing has begun for Russian alternatives to Microsoft Active Directory. The project is aimed at demonstrating that domestic IT platforms are ready to replace foreign software safely and seamlessly, without disrupting mission-critical operations.
The Association FinTech (AFT) has launched load testing of Russian centralized IT infrastructure management systems as part of a pilot project to replace Microsoft Active Directory. Three Russian platforms are taking part: RedAdm (Centralized IT Infrastructure Management System) from Red Soft, Elles (Directory Service for the Enterprise Sector) from the T1 IT holding, and Alt Domen (Alt Domain) from Basalt SPO, a software suite for centralized management of computers and users across a network. The hardware test environment is built entirely on Russian equipment supplied by YADRO, including VEGMAN R220G2 servers, TATLIN.UNIFIED storage systems, and KORNFELD network switches.
Two Million Membership Links Put Reliability to the Test
To provide an objective assessment of whether these Russian platforms are ready for production deployment, the testing is being conducted under conditions that closely mirror real-world enterprise environments. The test bed simulates the distributed IT infrastructure of a large organization with a deeply nested organizational structure. Its architecture includes seven organizational units (OUs) covering the primary object types – users and computers – along with a dedicated OU for groups and membership relationships. The directory contains more than 700,000 objects, including users, computers, and groups. It processes nearly 2 million membership links, representing an infrastructure with 150,000 users and 100,000 computers. Meanwhile, the test environment includes 47 groups ranging in size from 100 to 600,000 members.
Seamless Migration Without Downtime
Modeling an infrastructure at this scale demonstrates the maturity and fault tolerance of the products while showing that highly loaded enterprise environments can be built entirely on a Russian hardware and software stack. Over the coming months, developers will receive detailed performance metrics from the trials, including authentication response times, directory replication speeds between nodes, and the stability of LDAP and Kerberos protocols under peak loads typical of tens of thousands of employees logging in simultaneously.
Any technical issues identified during the testing will be addressed promptly. For example, vendors have already added DNS management enhancements and deeper integration with enterprise NTP servers to their product roadmaps. Positive results will pave the way for pilot production deployments, allowing organizations to validate seamless migration scenarios with minimal downtime, achieve native compatibility with existing business applications and information security systems, and ultimately accelerate adoption of Russian IT infrastructure management platforms across government agencies and large enterprises.
Removing the Barrier of Uncertainty
Microsoft Active Directory forms the foundation of corporate IT infrastructures around the world. It manages access rights, employee accounts, computers, and security groups. After Microsoft exited the Russian market, creating a reliable replacement became a critical priority. According to a K2Tech study, 89% of large Russian companies view replacing foreign infrastructure software as an urgent task. However, 76% of respondents report significant difficulties when selecting alternatives to Active Directory. Because independently verified data on the reliability and scalability of Russian platforms has been limited, only 13% of companies are currently evaluating such solutions, while just 1% have moved to full-scale deployment. The Association FinTech initiative is intended to remove that obstacle by providing independent, measurable test results that can demonstrate to IT decision-makers that Russian platforms are ready to serve as full replacements for Microsoft Active Directory.
The Final Test of Maturity
The market's cautious approach is rooted in earlier experience. In 2022, initial migration efforts based on Samba DC or FreeIPA frequently stalled because of compatibility issues. Over the past four years, however, the landscape has changed dramatically, with the industry progressing from laboratory prototypes to competition among several fully industrial-grade products. Leading vendors – Red Soft, Basalt SPO, and T1 – have focused on eliminating those barriers by enabling seamless replication with Microsoft Active Directory, delivering deep adaptation of LDAP directory structures, and ensuring stable Kerberos protocol operation in Linux environments. That approach has allowed organizations to migrate to Russian software incrementally without interrupting business operations.
By 2025, that accumulated experience had produced the first successful government-sector deployments and led to the emergence of specialized platforms for critical information infrastructure facilities, including Elles from T1. In effect, the current stress tests at the Association FinTech represent a logical final stage in the technology's evolution: the market has already overcome the basic compatibility challenge, and Russian platforms must now demonstrate that they can withstand the extreme workloads of the country's largest enterprises.
