🛠️ Create Active Directory and Setup

Active Directory (AD) setup is one of the most important tasks for system administrators, especially in enterprise or small-business environments. This guide will help you configure your own AD environment from scratch using Windows Server.

📦 What You’ll Need

• A computer or virtual machine with Windows Server 2016/2019/2022
• Administrator access to the server
• Static IP address configured
• A planned domain name (e.g., corp.local)

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🧱 Step 1: Set a Static IP Address

Before installing Active Directory, it's recommended to assign a static IP address to the server.

1. Open Server Manager → Click on Local Server.
2. Under Network, click the Ethernet link.
3. In the network adapter settings:
   • Go to Properties → Select IPv4 → Click Properties.
   • Choose Use the following IP address and configure:
     • IP: 192.168.1.10
     • Subnet: 255.255.255.0
     • Gateway: 192.168.1.1
     • DNS: 127.0.0.1 (for local DNS)

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🧰 Step 2: Install AD DS Role

1. Open Server Manager.
2. Click Manage → Add Roles and Features.
3. Proceed with Role-based or feature-based installation.
4. Select your server from the list.
5. In the Roles section, check Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
6. It will auto-select required features. Click Next and complete the installation.
7. Reboot if required.

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🧱 Step 3: Promote Server to Domain Controller

After the role is installed:

1. In Server Manager, click the yellow alert flag → Promote this server to a domain controller.
2. Choose Add a new forest, and specify your root domain name (e.g., corp.local).
3. Set the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password — keep this safe!
4. Click Next through the options, reviewing:
   • DNS options
   • NetBIOS name (auto-generated or customized)
   • Paths for AD database/logs/SYSVOL (default is fine)
5. Click Install. The server will reboot after promotion.

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📁 Step 4: Verify the Domain

After reboot:

• Login using: corp\Administrator
• Open Server Manager and confirm roles:
  • AD DS
  • DNS

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Verify DNS:

• Open DNS Manager
• Ensure your domain (corp.local) is listed under Forward Lookup Zones.

👤 Step 5: Create Users and Organizational Units (OUs)

You now have a functioning domain controller! Let’s create a user and an OU.

1. Open Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) from the start menu.
2. Right-click on the domain → New → Organizational Unit → Name it e.g., IT Department.
3. Right-click the OU → New → User.
   • First name: John
   • Username: john.doe
   • Set a password and configure as required.

You can now log in to domain-joined computers using corp\john.doe.

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🧩 Optional: Join a Client to the Domain

On a Windows 10/11 machine:

1. Open System Properties → Change settings next to computer name.
2. Click Change → Select Domain and enter corp.local.
3. Enter domain admin credentials (corp\Administrator).
4. Reboot the machine.
5. Login using the domain user credentials created earlier.

📊 Diagram: AD Setup Workflow

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🧠 Summary

You’ve now created your own Active Directory environment. This setup is foundational to managing users, groups, computers, and security policies in a domain.

✅ You’ve learned how to:

• Set up a static IP address
• Install the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) role
• Promote a server to a Domain Controller
• Create Organizational Units (OUs) and users
• Join client machines to the domain

This setup mirrors real-world enterprise scenarios, so take time to repeat and practice these steps until you're comfortable with every part of the process.