Active Directory Setup & Connect Sync

Objective Link to heading

  • Install and configure Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on a virtual machine.
  • Configure the VM as a Domain Controller and a DNS Server.
  • Join a client VM to the logan.local domain.

Why? Link to heading

  • Educational purposes and for hands-on testing with Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and other AD administrative tasks.

Tasks Completed Link to heading

  • Installation: Set up Windows Server 2025 Evaluation using VMware Workstation and installed AD DS and DNS tools.
  • Maintenance: Installed all updates for both the client and server, utilizing snapshots throughout the process.
  • Networking: Configured static IPv4 addresses and pointed the client to the server for DNS resolution.
  • Verification: Tested connectivity between both machines using the ping command.
  • Domain Join: Successfully joined a Windows 11 client VM to the domain using administrative credentials.

Issues Link to heading

  • “WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR” BSOD
    • A known error that occurs when using NVMe virtual disks during Windows updates within VMware.
    • See Troubleshooting Notes for the resolution.

Outcome Link to heading

  • Successfully joined a Windows 11 client VM to the domain running Windows Server 2025.
  • Gained experience in client-server communication and network configuration.
  • Established a functional “homelab” for future projects involving Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and administrative management.

Images for project Link to heading

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Where to go from here? Link to heading

I would like to further explore connecting on-premises infrastructure to the cloud using Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft Entra Connect Sync. To begin this process, I purchased a Microsoft 365 Business Premium license.

Using this tenant, I created a @LoganITLearn.onmicrosoft.com domain and successfully installed the Connect Sync agent onto the domain controller.

I then created a test user, “Jerry Jones,” using Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC). Once the account synced to Entra ID, I assigned licenses to both Jerry and myself. To verify the sync, I signed into Jerry’s account on a client VM and accessed the web version of Outlook. As shown in the images below, I successfully sent and received a test email.

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Troubleshooting Notes Link to heading

After researching the BSOD error, I identified that VMware’s NVMe controller was the cause. I took the following steps to resolve it:

  1. Removed the NVMe Controller from the Server VM settings (while retaining the existing .vmdk files).
  2. Added a new virtual hard drive using the SATA controller.
  3. Attached the existing .vmdk files to the SATA controller.
  4. Successfully booted the server and completed the update/restart process without further crashes.