- Sovereign identity management without cloud dependency.
- Control over identities, permissions, and access.
- In your own infrastructure.
Public Administration | Digital Sovereignty
Alternative to Microsoft Active Directory
The Challenges
Making Identity Management Future-Proof, Without Dependency on the Cloud.
Many organizations face the question of how they want to operate their identity management in the long term. While Microsoft is increasingly focusing on Entra ID and cloud-based operating models, public institutions in particular often need solutions that can be operated in their own infrastructure or in controlled cloud environments.
For administrations, this creates the challenge of combining digital sovereignty, compliance requirements, and modern identity services.
01
How do we retain control over our identities?
02
How do we create a future-proof alternative to Active Directory?
03
How do we modernize our infrastructure without a forced platform change?
The Solution
Nubus as a Sovereign Alternative to Active Directory
Nubus is a flexible Identity & Access Management (IAM) solution that fits into your existing IT landscape and enables a step-by-step transition from Active Directory.
- Flexible operation: On-premises, in the private cloud, or hybrid, either on Kubernetes or as a virtual machine (UCS). You decide how Nubus fits your IT.
- Centralized, secure access: Single Sign-on, centralized user management, and automated access rights reduce administrative effort and create a user-friendly working environment.
- Step-by-step transition: Open standards and the integration of existing AD environments pave the way to a future-proof IAM solution.
Benefits With Nubus
Four Reasons for Your Decision
Digital Sovereignty
Identities and access data remain under your control without dependency on cloud providers.
Open Integration
Standards such as LDAP, SAML, OIDC, REST, and SCIM enable integration into existing system landscapes.
Security & Compliance
Open source, transparent architecture, and support for regulatory requirements create trust for critical environments.
Future-Proof Solution
Nubus further develops your existing IAM landscape and creates a sustainable modernization path.
Operating Models
Deployment According to Your Requirements
Nubus can be integrated into existing infrastructures and introduced step by step. You decide which operating model suits your organization.
Virtual Machine
For a simple start
Nubus can also be operated quickly and easily as a virtual machine or on classic hardware, even without Kubernetes expertise. Through Active Directory integration, it can be seamlessly embedded into existing structures – ideal for organizations looking to get started without major migration efforts and to further develop their existing infrastructure step by step.
Kubernetes
For maximum scalability
Deployment via Kubernetes is ideal for organizations with growing IT demands. Nubus scales dynamically, distributes load automatically, and remains highly available, even in demanding and rapidly growing IT environments.
References
Proven in Use.
Trustworthy in Operation.
Nubus is in productive use in administration, education, and public sector organizations, in both small and large IT environments. Practical examples show how digital sovereignty and modern IT architectures can be successfully implemented.
ZenDiS / openDesk
Digital Sovereignty for Public Administration
-
100 %Open Source
-
BSICompliant
-
K8sNative
1. Requirements
- Integration of various open source components into a unified platform
- Central IAM for distributed Kubernetes environments
- SSO & compliance with BSI IT-Grundschutz
2. Solution
- Nubus as a central identity platform
- Single Sign-on
- Standardized interfaces and integrations
- Self-service and password management
3. Benefits
- Digital sovereignty through open source
- Extensible and interchangeable modules
- Reduced administrative effort through automation
Migration & Modernization
Kubernetes At Your Pace
- Kubernetes is not a must at the start – with Nubus you migrate step by step
- Smooth transition, entirely at your own pace and based on your needs
- Support in finding the right entry scenario for your organization
- Full benefits of Kubernetes: scalability, flexibility, modern IT architectures
- Remain independent and ensure a high level of data security
- Full control over identity and access data
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Nubus as an Alternative to Active Directory
Answers to the most important questions about using Nubus as a modern alternative to Microsoft Active Directory, from migration and integration to operation, security, and sovereignty.
Nubus is a modern Identity & Access Management solution that can extend or fully replace Active Directory. It centralizes identities, groups, and access rights and provides them to all applications via open standards.
Yes. Nubus can fully replace Active Directory or be operated in parallel with it. This makes both a step-by-step transition and a complete migration possible, without having to replace existing systems immediately.
In contrast to Microsoft’s cloud-centric approach, with Nubus you retain full control over identities and infrastructure. The solution is independent of cloud constraints, based on open standards, and avoids vendor lock-in.
Digital sovereignty means that you decide for yourself where and how identities are managed – on-premises, in the private cloud, or hybrid. Nubus ensures that this control remains in your own infrastructure.
Migration takes place step by step. Existing AD structures can be connected and gradually transferred to Nubus. This results in no hard switch, but rather a controlled modernization path.
Active Directory can continue to run in parallel. Nubus integrates existing AD environments via standards and thus enables a hybrid operating phase without interrupting ongoing operations.
Nubus relies on established security standards, centralized access control, and a transparent architecture. Identities remain under your control, without external cloud dependencies.
Nubus is freely available as an open source solution. For productive use, there are enterprise subscriptions with support, updates, and long-term maintenance.
