On my publications page you will find several PowerShell scripts for making your Active Directory life easier. The scripts that use a JSON configuration file leverage this unified schema, allowing you to create a single JSON file that represents critical elements of your AD environment.

Schema

{
    "ADComputers":[
        {
            "ComputerName":"",
            "Path":""
        }
    ],
    "ADContacts":[
        {
            "FirstName":"",
            "LastName":"",
            "EmailAddress":"",
            "Path":"",
            "TelephoneNumber":""
        }
    ],
    "ADDFSNFolderPermissions":[
        {
            "Description":"",
            "DFSNFolders":[""],
            "Identities":[""]
        }
    ],
    "ADDFSNRootPermissions":[
        {
            "Description":"",
            "DFSNRoots":[""],
            "Identities":[""]
        }
    ],
    "ADDFSRPermissions":[
        {
            "Description":"",
            "DFSRGroups":[""],
            "Identities":[""]
        }
    ],
    "ADGPOPermissions":[
        {
            "Description":"",
            "GPONames":[],
            "GroupNames":[""],
            "Permissions":[""]
        }
    ],
    "ADGroups":[
        {
            "Name":"",
            "Path":"",
            "Scope":0,
            "Members":[]
        }
    ],
    "ADOrganizationalUnits":[
        {
            "Name":"",
            "Path":""
        }
    ],
    "ADOUDelegations":[
        {
            "Description":"",
            "Identities":[],
            "Permissions":[],
            "OUs":[]
        }
    ],
    "ADUsers":[
        {
            "Surname":"",
            "GivenName":"",
            "Division":"",
            "Title":"",
            "EmployeeID":0,
            "SamAccountName":"",
            "Password":"",
            "Path":""
        }
    ]
}

Definition

Root Node

Key	Value	Required
`ADComputers`	A list of computers to create. See ADComputers, below.	FALSE
`ADContacts`	A list of contacts to create. See ADContacts, below.	FALSE
`ADDefaultObjectsOUs`	A dictionary of object types and their default OUs.	FALSE
`ADDFSNFolderPermissions`	A list of DFSN folders to delegate. See ADDFSNFolderPermissions, below.	FALSE
`ADDFSNRootPermissions`	A list of DFSN roots to delegate. See ADDFSNRootPermissions, below.	FALSE
`ADDFSRPermissions`	A list of DFSR permissions to apply. See ADDFSRPermissions, below.	FALSE
`ADGPOPermissions`	A list of GPO permissions to apply. See ADGPOPermissions, below.	FALSE
`ADGroupPolicyObjects`	A list of group policy objects to create. See ADGroupPolicyObjects, below.	FALSE
`ADGroups`	A list of groups to create. See ADGroups, below.	FALSE
`ADOrganizationalUnits`	A list of organizational units to create. See ADOrganizationalUnits, below.	FALSE
`ADOUDelegations`	A list of delegations to create. See ADOUDelegations, below.	FALSE
`ADUsers`	A list of users to create. See ADUsers, below.	FALSE

ADComputers

Key	Value	Required
`ComputerName`	The name of the computer object.	TRUE
`Path`	The organizational unit where the computer should be created.	TRUE

ADContacts

key	Value	Required
`FirstName`	The contact first name.	TRUE
`LastName`	The contact last name.	TRUE
`EmailAddress`	The contact email address.	TRUE
`Path`	The organizational unit where the contact should be created.	TRUE
`TelephoneNumber`	The contact telephone number.	TRUE

ADDefaultObjectsOUs

KEY	Value	Required
`Groups`	The OU that should contain AD domain built in groups.	TRUE
`Users`	The OU that should contain AD domain built in users.	TRUE

ADDFSNFolderPermissions

Key	Value	Required
`Description`	A brief description of the DFSN permission.	TRUE
`DFSNFolders`	A list of the folders where the permissions will be applied.	TRUE
`Identities`	A list of AD users and group to whom the permissions will be applied.	TRUE

ADDFSNRootPermissions

Key	Value	Required
`Description`	A brief description of the DFSN permission.	TRUE
`DFSNRoots`	A list of the folders where the permissions will be applied.	TRUE
`Identities`	A list of AD users and group to whom the permissions will be applied.	TRUE

ADDFSRPermissions

Key	Value	Required
`Description`	A brief description of the DFSR permission.	TRUE
`DFSRGroups`	A list of the DFS replication groups where the permissions will be applied.	TRUE
`Identities`	A list of AD users and group to whom the permissions will be applied.	TRUE

ADGPOPermissions

Key	Value	Required
`Description`	A brief description of the GPO permission.	TRUE
`GPONames`	A list of GPO names where the permissions will be applied.	TRUE
`GroupNames`	A list of AD groups to whom the permissions will be applied.	TRUE
`Permissions`	A list of the permissions to apply. Valid permissions are `GpoRead`, `GpoApply`, `GpoEdit`, and `GpoEditDeleteModifySecurity`.	TRUE

ADGroupPolicyObjects

Key	Value	Required
`Name`	The name for the group policy object.	TRUE
`Links`	A list of OUs where the policy should be linked.	TRUE

ADGroups

Key	Value	Required
`Name`	The group name.	TRUE
`Path`	The OU where the group should be created.	TRUE
`Scope`	The group GroupScope.	TRUE
`Groups`	Other [parent] groups where this groups should be a member.	TRUE

ADOrganizationalUnits

Key	Value	Required
`Name`	The organizational unit name.	TRUE
`Path`	The organizational unit where the new OU should be created.	TRUE

ADOUDelegations

Key	Value	Required
`Description`	A brief description of the delegation.	TRUE
`Identities`	A list of users and groups to whom the delegation will be applied.	TRUE
`Permissions`	The permissions that will be applied for the user to the OU. See Permissions (below) for valid values.	TRUE
`OUs`	A list of OU distinguished names where the delegation will be applied.	TRUE

ADUsers

Key	Value	Required
`Surname`	The user last name.	TRUE
`GivenName`	The user first name.	TRUE
`Division`	The user division.	TRUE
`Title`	The user title.	TRUE
`EmployeeID`	The user employee ID.	TRUE
`SamAccountName`	The user SamAccountName.	TRUE
`Password`	The user password in plain text.	TRUE
`Path`	The organizational unit where the user should be created.	TRUE
`Groups`	A list of groups where this user should be a member.	TRUE