🏢 Enterprise Active Directory Lab

Windows Server 2022 | VMware Workstation | Active Directory | DNS | DHCP | Group Policy | PowerShell

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🚀 A complete Enterprise Active Directory Infrastructure project built using Windows Server 2022 and VMware Workstation, demonstrating real-world Windows Administration, Active Directory management, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, File Server configuration, PowerShell administration, and enterprise troubleshooting.

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📖 Project Overview

This project demonstrates the implementation of a complete Enterprise Active Directory environment using Windows Server 2022 and VMware Workstation.

The objective of this lab was to simulate real-world Windows Server administration tasks performed by Windows Administrators, System Administrators, and IT Infrastructure Engineers.

The project covers the complete lifecycle of Active Directory deployment, including:

• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Organizational Units (OU)
• User & Group Management
• DNS Configuration
• DHCP Configuration
• Group Policy Management
• Windows Client Domain Join
• File Server Configuration
• NTFS Permissions
• Home Folder Mapping
• PowerShell Administration
• Enterprise Troubleshooting

📑 Table of Contents

• Project Overview
• Objectives
• Technologies Used
• Architecture
• Repository Structure
• Screenshots
• PowerShell Commands
• Interview Questions
• Skills Demonstrated
• Learning Outcomes

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🎯 Project Objectives

• Deploy Windows Server 2022 as a Domain Controller.
• Configure Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
• Create and manage Organizational Units (OUs).
• Manage users, groups, and security permissions.
• Configure DNS and DHCP services.
• Implement Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
• Join Windows 10 clients to the domain.
• Configure File Server with NTFS permissions.
• Configure Home Folder mapping.
• Perform Windows administration using PowerShell.
• Simulate real-world enterprise support scenarios.
• Build a professional GitHub portfolio for interview preparation.

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🛠️ Technologies Used

Technology	Purpose
Windows Server 2022	Domain Controller
Windows 10	Domain Client
VMware Workstation Pro	Virtualization Platform
Active Directory Domain Services	Identity Management
DNS	Name Resolution
DHCP	Automatic IP Address Assignment
Group Policy	Centralized Policy Management
SMB File Sharing	Shared Folder Management
NTFS Permissions	File Security
PowerShell	Windows Administration & Automation

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🚀 Features Implemented

✅ Installed and configured Windows Server 2022

✅ Promoted the server to a Domain Controller

✅ Created an Active Directory Domain

✅ Configured Organizational Units (OUs)

✅ Created and managed users and security groups

✅ Configured DNS

✅ Configured DHCP

✅ Joined Windows 10 client to the domain

✅ Configured File Server

✅ Applied NTFS permissions

✅ Configured Home Folder mapping

✅ Managed users with PowerShell

✅ Simulated enterprise support scenarios

✅ Performed Active Directory troubleshooting

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🏗️ Lab Architecture

For the complete architecture diagram, see:

📁 Architecture/Architecture-Diagram.md

The lab environment consists of one Windows Server acting as the Domain Controller and one Windows 10 client joined to the Active Directory domain.

                    VMware Workstation
     -------------------------------------------------

             Windows Server 2022 (DC01)
          --------------------------------
          • Active Directory Domain Services
          • DNS Server
          • DHCP Server
          • Group Policy
          • File Server
          • Home Folder Mapping

                       │
                       │
                 Domain Network
                       │
                       ▼

             Windows 10 Client
          -------------------------
          • Domain Joined
          • Domain User Login
          • Shared Folder Access
          • Home Folder Access

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📂 Repository Structure

Active-Directory-Lab
│
├── 01-Windows-Server-Installation
├── 02-Active-Directory-Users-and-Groups
├── 03-Group-Policy-Management
├── 04-DNS-Configuration
├── 05-DHCP-Configuration
├── 06-Domain-Join-and-Client-Management
├── 07-File-Server-and-NTFS-Permissions
├── 08-Shared-Folders-and-Access-Control
├── 09-Active-Directory-Administration-and-Backup
├── 10-Lab-Validation-and-Project-Completion
│
├── Architecture
├── Diagrams
├── Interview-Questions
├── PowerShell
└── Screenshots

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📅 10-Day Learning Journey

Day	Topic
Day 1	Windows Server 2022 Installation
Day 2	Active Directory Users and Groups
Day 3	Group Policy Management
Day 4	DNS Configuration
Day 5	DHCP Configuration
Day 6	Domain Join and Client Management
Day 7	File Server and NTFS Permissions
Day 8	Shared Folders and Access Control
Day 9	Active Directory Administration and PowerShell
Day 10	Enterprise Administration and Lab Validation

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📸 Project Screenshots

A complete implementation gallery is available below.

➡️ View Complete Screenshot Gallery

📁 Detailed screenshots are available inside the Screenshots folder.

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💻 PowerShell Commands

The following PowerShell commands were practiced during this project:

Command	Purpose
Get-ADUser -Filter *	List all Active Directory users
Get-ADUser -Filter * | Select Name	Display only usernames
Export-Csv	Export Active Directory users to CSV
Get-Command Get-ADUser	Verify Active Directory module

Additional PowerShell commands will be added as the project expands.

🎤 Interview Readiness

This project helped me prepare for Windows Administrator and Infrastructure Support interviews by providing hands-on experience with:

• Active Directory Administration
• DNS & DHCP Troubleshooting
• Group Policy Management
• NTFS Permissions
• User Provisioning & Deprovisioning
• File Server Administration
• PowerShell Basics
• Enterprise Troubleshooting Scenarios

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📚 Key Skills Gained

Throughout this project, I developed practical experience in:

• Windows Server Administration
• Enterprise Active Directory Deployment
• Identity & Access Management
• File Server Administration
• Infrastructure Troubleshooting
• Windows PowerShell Administration
• Technical Documentation
• IT Support Best Practices

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👩‍💻 Author

Payal Acharya

Infrastructure & Windows Administration Enthusiast

This repository showcases my hands-on implementation of an Enterprise Active Directory environment using Windows Server 2022 and VMware Workstation.

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⭐ If you found this project useful, feel free to star the repository.

Built with ❤️ using Windows Server 2022 & VMware Workstation.