Setting up the Domain

Let’s get started!

For this project, we will use VMware Workstation Pro which is free for personal use

Let’s set up our first Domain Controller (DC):

We have a Windows Server 2022:

Specs:

• 4vCPUS

• 2 Disks (C: 50GB / S: 20GB)

• 4GB Ram

Let’s start by logging in and changing its hostname (THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT OTHERWISE IT CAN CAUSE BIG ISSUES IF YOU RENAME A DC):

Accept and restart the server:

Set up Networking:

Static IP:

Disable IPv6:

Let’s install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS):

This will give us the tools to manage users and computers for the domain.

It asks for reboot, we accept/yes

After the server is back online, it provides us with the option to promote to Domain Controller

We are setting up a domain from scratch so we will select: Add a new forest: beyondbaremetal.local

Let’s review the additional options:

• Forest/Domain functional Level refers to the minimum Windows Server version required for all the Domain Controllers in the Forest/Domain.

• Domain Name System (DNS) Server needs to be checked, in short: AD DS relies on DNS to work.

• The Global Catalog (GC) will be checked by default. It has a read-only replicate of every object in the entire forest.

• Directory Services Restore mode (DSRM) Password: Important when we need to fix or restore a corrupted AD Database and so on.

Select Next.

Set NetBIOS domain name:

Select paths for:

• Database folder

• Log files folder

• SYSVOL Folder

For SYSVOL (It stores GPOs, logon scripts, and public domain files), it is recommended to have it on a separate drive (in this case S).

Review and Next

Install:

Once the install is complete we will be signed out and the server will restart:

After the server is rebooted we can open Server Manager and see we have many new options, including Active Directory Users and Computers:

Let’s finish by setting up DNS Forwarders (Which the server will use to resolve all queries that it doesn’t know)

We can set any public DNS but let’s set 8.8.8.8 / 1.1.1.1:

Let’s set up NTP (Network Time Protocol):

This step is important since time is a fundamental piece of the Windows Server architecture. Applications, security, and many features rely on time. If a server's time is off, that can cause many types of issues.

Open the command prompt as an Admin and enter the following command:

note the /manualpeerlist: pool.ntp.org (That’s the NTP Server, you can change it for anything you’d like):

w32tm /config /manualpeerlist:pool.ntp.org /syncfromflags:manual /reliable:yes /update

Now let’s restart the w32time service:

net stop w32time

net start w32time

Let’s run a resync command:

w32tm /resync /nowait

Finally, we can verify the NTP server configuration now:

w32tm /query /source

w32tm /query /status

Full walkthrough:

Notice at first it says Local CMOS Clock.

Then it shows correctly: pool.ntp.org

With that, we’ve just completed the initial Domain and Domain Controller Setup.

Stay tuned for more content.

Thanks for reading!

Link to the series 👉 https://beyondbaremetal.hashnode.dev/series/beyond-bare-metal-setup