AD.Training.com: Advanced Domain Management Walkthrough

This repository contains an in-depth walkthrough for the "EXTRA" exercise involving Active Directory configuration, User Profiles, and Homefolder Management.

🎯 Scenario Overview

You are tasked with setting up a complex organizational structure on SRV-DC-01 within the AD.training.com domain, including specific storage requirements and profile types for different departments.

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🛠️ Step 1: Organizational Unit (OU) Hierarchy

Log in to SRV-DC-01 as the Domain Administrator and open Active Directory Users & Computers.

1. Create a root OU named "EXTRA".
2. Under "EXTRA", create the following sub-OUs:
   • Servers: To house all domain server objects.
   • Workstations: To house client machine objects.
   • Departments: To house the departmental OUs.
3. Under "Departments", create:
   • PRODUCTION
   • HR
   • TECHNICAL
   • MANAGEMENT
4. User Creation: In each departmental OU, create 2 standard user accounts (e.g., ProdUser1, ProdUser2).

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📂 Step 2: File Server Preparation (SRV-FILE-01)

Log in to SRV-FILE-01 to prepare the storage infrastructure.

1. Open Server Manager > File and Storage Services > Shares.
2. Create two new SMB Shares:
   • Test-Homefolders$: (Hidden share recommended)
   • Test-Userprofiles$: (Hidden share recommended)
3. Permissions: Ensure "Authenticated Users" or the specific departmental groups have Modify NTFS permissions.

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👤 Step 3: Mandatory vs. Roaming Profiles

Configure the user profile paths in the "Profile" tab of each user's AD properties.

A. Production & HR (Mandatory Profiles + 400MB Limit)

Mandatory profiles provide a read-only environment. If the user makes changes, they are discarded at logout.

1. Path: Set Profile Path to \\SRV-FILE-01\Test-Userprofiles$\mandatory.
2. Setup: Rename the NTUSER.DAT to NTUSER.MAN in the profile folder to make it mandatory.
3. Homefolder:
   • Connect H: to \\SRV-FILE-01\Test-Homefolders$\%username%.
   • Hard Limit: Use File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) on SRV-FILE-01 to set a Hard Quota of 400MB on the homefolder directory.

B. Technical (Roaming Profiles + 1GB Limit)

Roaming profiles sync changes back to the server.

1. Path: Set Profile Path to \\SRV-FILE-01\Test-Userprofiles$\%username%.
2. Homefolder:
   • Connect H: to \\SRV-FILE-01\Test-Homefolders$\%username%.
   • Hard Limit: Set a Hard Quota of 1GB via FSRM.

C. Management (Roaming Profiles + 1GB Soft Limit)

1. Path: Same as Technical.
2. Homefolder:
   • Connect H: to \\SRV-FILE-01\Test-Homefolders$\%username%.
   • Soft Limit: Set a Soft Quota of 1GB via FSRM. Soft quotas allow users to exceed the limit but trigger an email/log notification to the admin.

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🔍 Admin Checklist

• OUs created under "EXTRA"?
• 2 Users per department?
• Shares created on SRV-FILE-01?
• .MAN extension verified for Mandatory users?
• Quotas (Hard vs Soft) applied in FSRM?

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Created by Lennert Van Hoyweghen - IT Trainer