Fundamentals of Active Directory

Fundamentals of Active Directory will serve as your leap into the world of Active Directory and infrastructure management. In this one day instructor-led course, you learn how and why Active Directory was developed by Microsoft, the fundamental architecture, basic design, management, as well as security and fundamentals for cloud integration with services like Azure.

This course is intended for both novice and experienced IT Professionals:

Network Administrators new to Active Directory
Help Desk Personnel
Network Support Personnel
Desktop Support Personnel
Managers that oversee IT personnel
Developers that create products that interact with Active Directory and Exchange Administrators.

Benefits

Understand the industry standards used in Active Directory and their importance.
Recognize the functionality of Domain Controllers and Active Directory Replication mechanisms.
Understand Forest, Domain and OU structure.
Recognize and understand the role of Active Directory Sites.
Skills needed to determine Domain Controller Server versions, Forest and Domain Functional levels.
Describe authentication Mechanisms in Active Directory NTLM and Kerberos.
Optimize and maintain Group Policy Objects (GPO) used in Active Directory.
Understand the functioning of Active Directory Partitions and the Global Catalog.
Fundamental understanding of using Active Directory with Cloud Services like Federation Services and Azure.

Outline

Module 1: Principles of Active Directory

This module lays the fundamental groundwork for understanding all major principles of active directory from management and design to integration with other forests and the cloud. All of the foundational terminology and standards used in Active Directory are clearly defined and explained.

Lessons

Development of Active Directory
What is X.500
LDAP
Active Directory Architecture
NTLM and Kerberos
Managing Operating Systems with GPOs, Workplace Join and InTune
Active Directory Groups: Domain Local, Global and Universal
Using and Managing Active Directory Domain Controllers
Forest and Domain Functional Levels
Introduction to Active Directory Partitions and the Global Catalog
Basic Forest Structure and Design
Basic Domain Structure and Design
Basic OU Structure and Design

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the key features and editions of Active Directory
Understand all of the principle componets of Active Directory including Sites, Domains, OUs and their use.
Descripbe the authentication mechanisms used by Active Directory and how they are implemented.
Understand the common design scenarios used when implementing Active Directory.
Describe the techniques used by Active Directory to manage computers and network resources.

Module 2: Fundamentals of WAN management with Active Directory

This module explains how to use the wide area networking features of Active Directory such as Active Directory Sites and Site Link Objects to control and manage replication, login traffic and site aware applications.

Lessons

Understanding AD Sites and WAN Traffic Management
Basic AD Sites and Logon Traffic
Introduction to AD Sites and Replication Traffic
Bridgehead Servers and Site Link Objects
Site Aware Applications

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the key features, in Active Directory used to manage WAN logon and replication traffic.
Understand the function of the Knowledge Consistancy Checker and the Inter-Site Topology Generator.
Fundamentals of WAN design with Active Directory.
Resolve common WAN traffic issues.

Module 3: Introduction to Active Directory Group Policy Objects

This module explains Active Directory Group Policy, how it functions, how it is used and the fundamental features and limitations. Students will understand all major features of GPOs and how they can be effectively implemented to avoid common issues.

Lessons

Introduction to Group Policy
Administrative Templates
Fundamental Concepts of GPO Scripts
Introduction to Creating and Using GPOs
Principles of Managing Multiple GPOs
Block, Enforce and Inheritance
GPOs and Active Directory Versions
Introduction to Controlling and Installing Software with GPOs, SRP and App Locker

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the key features, editions, and hardware requirements Active Directory Group Policy.
Principles of managing multiple GPOs and inheritance.
Upgrade and Migrate to new Administrative Templates.
Understand Block, Enforce, GPO scripts and container linking.
Introduction to software installation with GPOs and application control.
Resolve common issues

Module 4: Principles of Active Directory Integration

This module explains how Active Directory can be integrated and used with other Active Directory Forests, X.500 Realms, LDAP services and Cloud services.

Lessons

Active Directory and “The Cloud”
User Principle Names, Authentication and Active Directory Federated Services
Conclusion, Additional Resources, Labs and Exercises

Lab 1: What version of Active Directory are you running?

Determine server operating system version of a Domain Controller
Deternine Domain Functional Level
Determine Forest Functional Level
Raise Domain and Forest Functional Level
Create a logical Active Directory Diagram

Lab 2: Authenticate with a UPN logon

Authenticate and login using both Pre-Windows 2000 and User Principle Name login methods.
Understand the use and limitations of Active Directory authentication methods.

Lab 3: Explore Active Directory Objects and Utilities

Explore and use the Active Directory Users and Computers Utility
Create OU containers, users and delegate rights and permissions
Explore the Active Directory Administrative Center.
Understand common issues.

Lab 4: Explore the default GPO configuration

Explore and use the Group Policy Management Editor
Explore and understand the settings in the default Active Directory GPOs

Lab 5: Make your own GPO

Create a new Group Policy Object using the Group Policy Management Editor
Apply and test application of the new GPO

After completing this module, students will be able to:

Describe the key features of Active Directory that can be used for extra WAN resource sharing
Understand the term Cloud and the advantage of Cloud services.
Understand the principles of Authentication outside of an Active Directory Forest.
Descibe the role of Kerberos, Single Sign On and User Principle Names.
Experience and use the principle Active Directory management tools described in the course.
Create, edit and apply a Group Policy Object.