Configuring Active Directory

Active Directory and workgroups offer distinct network setups for organizations to manage their Windows network. Workgroups function as a peer-to-peer network setup where each system operates both as a client and a server without centralized authentication. They are ideal for organizations with minimal authentication and file sharing needs–typically organizations with 15 users or fewer. Workgroups become inefficient in larger organizations, and a client server network setup such as Active Directory is the preferred choice for management.

Active Directory, a widely used directory service, is an integral part of any Windows server. It helps in storing information about various identities and managing access to them.

Configuring Active Directory Domains Services (AD DS) is the first step in setting up Windows Active Directory. This document is an AD DS configuration guide to help you seamlessly install AD DS using Server Manager.

Starting from Windows Server 2012, AD DS can be installed using the Add Roles Wizard in Server Manager and the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard instead of using the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (dcpromo.exe).

Step-by-step Active Directory configuration

Here is a step-by-step guide to configure AD DS using Server Manager:

1. Open Server Manager and click Manage.
2. Click Add Roles and Features to start the Add Roles Wizard.
3. Skim through the Before You Begin page and click Next.
4. Select the Installation Type and click Next.
5. Click Select a Server from the server pool, select the desired server where you you would like to configure AD DS services, verify the server details, and click Next.
6. Select the roles you wish to install–in this case, Active Directory Domain Services–and click Next.
7. Select the additional features that you would like to install apart from the default features and click Next.
8. On the Active Directory Domain Services page, verify the information displayed and click Next.
9. Click Install to install AD DS.
10. Once the installation is successful, close this window.
11. Navigate back to the Server Manager dashboard and click the notification flag next to Manage.
12. Select Promote this server to a domain controller.
13. In the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard, select Add a new forest and specify the Root domain name.
14. Click Next and configure the forest and domain functional levels.
15. Specify the DRSM password that can be used to retrieve data and click Next.
16. On the Additional Options page, enter the NetBios domain name and click Next.
17. On the Paths page, specify the locations where you would like to store the database, log files, and the SYSVOL folder and click Next.
18. Verify the information displayed on the Review Options page and click Next. A prerequisite check is then performed.
19. Once the prerequisite validation is completed, click Install. Verify the installation status. The server will reboot automatically to complete AD DS installation.

Once your domain controller (DC) is up and running, you can create and manage users, groups, computers, and more either using the conventional Active Directory Users and Computers console or by using ADManager Plus, an IGA Active Directory management and reporting solution.

How to configure and manage Active Directory in ADManager Plus

Upon installing and starting ADManager Plus, it will automatically resolve the domains in your Active Directory network. If it does not, you can configure them by following the steps listed below.

These are some fields that you must know before configuring your Active Directory domain in ADManager Plus.

To manually configure an Active Directory domain in ADManager Plus:

1. Log in to your ADManager Plus instance.
2. Click the Domain/Tenant Settings option.
3. Select the Click here to add a new domain option.
4. Enter a Domain Name.
5. In the Add Domain Controller field, click Discover Now to automatically resolve the respective DCs. If they don't resolve, you can also specify their names in the Domain Controller Name field.
6. Click Add to add the DCs. The DC listed first is the primary DC. When you have multiple DCs, you can order them based on the order in which they have to be contacted.
7. Check the Implement DC Sort Intelligence option if you would like ADManager Plus to contact the fastest DC from the list.
8. Check the Authentication option to provide the credentials of the Active Directory account with the necessary permissions to manage your Active Directory domain.
9. Once done, click Add.

Note: Steps 2 and 3 can be skipped if you are configuring an Active Directory domain for the first time in ADManager Plus.