Concluded Basics

Lab Summary: Active Directory and Group Policy on Windows Server 2016

This lab walked through the process of setting up a Windows Server 2016 virtual machine using Oracle VirtualBox. Then installing the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role and promoting the server to a domain controller, forming the backbone of a new Windows domain.

Configuring the necessary DNS and DHCP settings within the Windows Server environment to support domain functionality, ensuring proper name resolution for domain-joined devices and IP configuration.

The lab also covered:

• Creating a new user account in Active Directory Users and Computers.


• Joining a Windows client computer to the domain, which automatically generates a corresponding computer account in Active Directory.


• Creating and applying Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to both user and computer accounts to enforce policies across the domain.


• Managing Active Directory and Group Policy with the use of PowerShell.

These tasks form the essential building blocks of managing a Windows domain environment, providing centralized control over users, computers, and security policies through Active Directory.