Active Directory Administration Cookbook

Simplified actionable recipes for managing Active Directory and Azure AD, as well as Azure AD Connect, for administration on-premise and in the cloud with Windows Server 2022

Key Features

• Expert solutions for name resolution, federation, certificates, and security with Active Directory
• Explore Microsoft Azure AD and Azure AD Connect for effective administration on the cloud
• Automate security tasks using Active Directory tools and PowerShell

Book Description

Updated to the Windows Server 2022, this second edition covers effective recipes for Active Directory administration that will help you leverage AD’s capabilities for automating network, security, and access management tasks in the Windows infrastructure.

Starting with a detailed focus on forests, domains, trusts, schemas, and partitions, this book will help you manage domain controllers, organizational units, and default containers. You’ll then explore Active Directory sites management as well as identify and solve replication problems. As you progress, you’ll work through recipes that show you how to manage your AD domains as well as user and group objects and computer accounts, expiring group memberships, and Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSAs) with PowerShell. Once you’ve covered DNS and certificates, you’ll work with Group Policy and then focus on federation and security before advancing to Azure Active Directory and how to integrate on-premise Active Directory with Azure AD. Finally, you’ll discover how Microsoft Azure AD Connect synchronization works and how to harden Azure AD.

By the end of this AD book, you’ll be able to make the most of Active Directory and Azure AD Connect.

What you will learn

• Manage the Recycle Bin, gMSAs, and fine-grained password policies
• Work with Active Directory from both the graphical user interface (GUI) and command line
• Use Windows PowerShell to automate tasks
• Create and remove forests, domains, domain controllers, and trusts
• Create groups, modify group scope and type, and manage memberships
• Delegate, view, and modify permissions
• Set up, manage, and optionally decommission certificate authorities
• Optimize Active Directory and Azure AD for security

Who this book is for

This book is for administrators of existing Active Directory Domain Service environments as well as for Azure AD tenants looking for guidance to optimize their day-to-day tasks. Basic networking and Windows Server Operating System knowledge will be useful for getting the most out of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Optimizing Forests, Domains, and Trusts
2. Managing Domain Controllers
3. Managing Active Directory Roles and Features
4. Managing Containers and Organizational Units
5. Managing Active Directory Sites and Troubleshooting Replication
6. Managing Active Directory Users
7. Managing Active Directory Groups
8. Managing Active Directory Computers
9. Managing DNS
10. Getting the Most Out of Group Policy
11. Securing Active Directory
12. Managing Certificates
13. Managing Federation
14. Handling Authentication in a Hybrid World (AD FS, PHS, PTA and DSSO)
15. Handling Synchronization in a Hybrid World (Azure AD Connect)
16. Hardening Azure AD

About the Author

Sander Berkouwer calls himself an Active Directory aficionado; he’s done everything with Active Directory and Azure AD, including decommissioning. He has been MCSA, MCSE, and MCITP-certified for ages, an MCT for the past 5 years and a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) on Directory Services and Enterprise Mobility for over a decade. Sander is also decorated with Veeam Vanguard and VMware vExpert awards for his international cross-platform knowledge, experience and passion. As the CTO at SCCT, Sander leads a team of architects performing many projects, most of them identity-related, throughout Europe.