Get Forest and Domain Functional Level from powershell

An Active Directory functional level defines which Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) capabilities are available for a certain forest or domain. The functional levels are defined in terms of Windows Server versions, as each version upgrade introduces a slew of new AD DS features. Because their functions are not backward compatible with prior functional levels, functional levels must be defined.

Functional levels are classified into two types:

1. Forest functional level (FFL)

2. Domain functional level (DFL)

Forest functional level (FFL)

A forest functional level specifies which AD DS features are enabled in a forest. Increasing an FFL improves the capability of the forest’s domain controllers (DC). For example, Windows Server 2016 included Privileged Access Management (PAM) capabilities in addition to all of the previous version’s capabilities.

Domain functional level (DFL)

Domain functional level (DFL) determines the features of a Domain Controller (DC) based on the Windows server Operating System (OS) it runs on1. The functional level determines the available Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain or forest capabilities and which Windows Server operating systems you can run on domain controllers in the domain or forest

How to check forest and Domain functional level?

Get Forest Functional Level using PowerShell:

Get-ADForest | fl Name,ForestMode

PS C:\> Get-ADForest | fl Name,ForestMode

Name : Windowstechno.local
ForestMode : Windows2012R2Forest

PS C:\>

Get Domain Functional Level using PowerShell:

Get-ADDomain | fl Name,DomainMode

PS C:\> Get-ADDomain | fl Name,DomainMode

Name : Windowstechno
DomainMode : Windows2012R2Domain

PS C:\>

Additionally, we have a video below that demonstrates the same. Do not forget to check this.

So, that’s all in this blog. I will meet you soon with next stuff. Have a nice day!!!

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