#status/elaborate

Active Directory Setup

In this setup, we will configure two Domain Controllers and joining one client into the domain. But first you need to download the ISOs from Microsoft Evaluation Center:

Domain Controller 1

  1. Create a new VM and Boot
    Active Directory Setup_Windows Server VM Hardware.png
    For some reason the default VirtIO network model wasn't recognized by Windows, so I switched it to VMware vmxnet3:
    Active Directory Setup_VMware vmxnet3 network device.png
  2. Select your language
  3. Install Windows Server 2022 Standard Evaluation (Desktop Experience)
    Active Directory Setup_window server desktop experience.png
  4. Select Custom installation
    Active Directory Setup_Windows Server VM Custom Installation.png
  5. Set the Administrator password
  6. Rename the server
  7. In the Server Manager click Add roles and features
  8. Make sure Role-based or feature-based installation is selected
  9. Select our server in the Server Selection
  10. Select Active Directory Domain Services from the list:
    Active Directory Setup_Active Directory Domain Services.png
  11. Finish the Installation
  12. Promote the Server to a Domain Controller:
    Active Directory Setup_Promote server to domain controller.png
  13. Add a new forest:
    Active Directory Setup_Adding a new forest.png
  14. Set a Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password
  15. Leave DNS delegation blank
  16. Finish the Installation
  17. After the reboot, select Active Directory Users and Computers
    Active Directory Setup_Active Directory Users and Computers.png
  18. Create a new user:
    Active Directory Setup_Create new User.png
    Active Directory Setup_New user object.png
  19. Under settings, go to Network & Internet and select Change adapter options:
    Active Directory Setup_Cange adapter options.png
  20. Set the preferred DNS to the IP of the first Domain Controller:
    Active Directory Setup_Prefered DNS on second DC.png

Windows Client

  1. Create a new VM and follow the installation wizard
  2. Under Network and Internetand Ethernet in the settings DNS server assignment and enter the IP of the Domain Controller (make sure this IP is static)
    Active Directory Setup_Network and Internet Ethernet.png
    Active Directory Setup_Manual preferred DNS.png
  3. To join the Client into the Domain, navigate to Access work or school
    Active Directory Setup_Access work or school.png
  4. Click Connect
  5. Select Join this device to a local Active Directory domain and enter target.local
    Active Directory Setup_Join this device to a local Active Directory domain.png
  6. Now we should be able to log into the previously created account:
    Active Directory Setup_Logging into the newly created account.png
  7. Add the new user as a Standard User
  8. After a reboot you should now be able to sign in to the newly created user

[1]

Domain Controller 2

  1. Perform the steps from the previous Domain Controller up until step 12 Promote the Server to a Domain Controller
  2. Under settings, go to Network & Internet and select Change adapter options:
    Active Directory Setup_Cange adapter options.png
  3. Set the preferred DNS to the IP of the first DNS:
    Active Directory Setup_Preferred DNS on first DC.png
  4. Now that we've ensured connectivity, we can proceed by promoting the server to a Domain Controller, but this time we select Add a domain controller to an existing domain and make sure it uses the Administrator user specified in TARGET.local\ not the local one:
    Active Directory Setup_Add a domai ncontroller to an exisiting domain.png
  5. Enter the DSRM password
  6. Specify the Domain Controller 1 as the one we want to replicate from:
    Active Directory Setup_replicate from domain controller.png
  7. Finish the Installation
  8. Now go back to Domain Controller 1 and change it's preferred DNS to the static IP of the second Domain Controller:
    Active Directory Setup_Prefered DNS on second DC.png

[2]

Resources to Elaborate on This Simple Setup

Relevant Note(s):

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OseTyfXr3Q ↩︎

  2. https://lazyadmin.nl/it/add-domain-controller-to-existing-domain/ ↩︎