Active Directory & Windows Server Home Lab

Overview

This repository documents the deployment of an Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) environment using Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 client nodes hosted on VMware Workstation Pro.

Infrastructure & Configuration

• Domain Controller: Windows Server 2022 (DC-01) | Static IP: 192.168.1.100
• Domain Name: haley-corp.local
• Client Workstation: Windows 11 Enterprise (Client-01)

Implementation Details

1. Active Directory OU & User Structure

Configured administrative Organizational Units (OUs) for enterprise divisions alongside user accounts and permissions.

2. Domain Authentication & Client Join

Joined Client-01 to haley-corp.local via custom DNS configuration and validated domain-user logon.

3. Group Policy Configuration

Created and deployed Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to streamline workstation security settings and resource access.

Issues Encountered & Solved

• Issue: Client VM failed to resolve the domain name during domain join.
• Troubleshooting: Verified physical connectivity, then identified that Client-01 was using automatic DHCP DNS addresses.
• Resolution: Updated the IPv4 primary DNS on Client-01 to point directly to the static IP of DC-01 (192.168.1.100), resolving the domain join error immediately.