Lab Progress Assessment - Active Directory Lab v1.0

Lab Information

• Name: Active Directory Lab v1.0
• Category: Identity Management
• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Tutorial Source: Custom implementation
• Estimated Hours: 12

Progress Tracking

Phase 1: Environment Setup (100% Complete) ✅

Component: Virtual Environment Setup

• Set up Windows Server 2019 VM (45 min)
• Configure network settings (30 min)
• Install Active Directory Domain Services (30 min)
• Promote server to domain controller (30 min)
• Configure DNS settings (15 min)

Lessons Learned: Windows Server 2019 requires specific network adapter configuration for proper domain services Issues Overcome: Initial DNS configuration required manual forwarder setup for external resolution

Phase 2: User Management (100% Complete) ✅

Component: User and Group Management

• Create organizational units (30 min)
• Add domain users (45 min)
• Configure security groups (30 min)
• Set up service accounts (30 min)
• Configure password policies (20 min)

Lessons Learned: PowerShell automation significantly speeds up bulk user creation process Issues Overcome: Service account permissions required additional delegation configuration

Phase 3: Group Policy (100% Complete) ✅

Component: Group Policy Configuration

• Create basic GPO policies (45 min)
• Configure security settings (30 min)
• Set up software deployment (30 min)
• Test policy application (30 min)
• Document policy settings (30 min)

Lessons Learned: Group Policy testing requires proper OU structure and user assignments Issues Overcome: Policy inheritance issues resolved through proper precedence configuration

Phase 4: DNS Configuration (100% Complete) ✅

Component: DNS Server Setup

• Configure DNS zones (30 min)
• Set up reverse lookup zones (20 min)
• Configure DNS forwarders (15 min)
• Test DNS resolution (15 min)
• Document DNS configuration (20 min)

Lessons Learned: Reverse DNS zones are crucial for proper network service functionality Issues Overcome: DNS scavenging configuration required to prevent stale records

Phase 5: Security Hardening (100% Complete) ✅

Component: Security Implementation

• Configure firewall rules (30 min)
• Set up audit policies (30 min)
• Implement account lockout policies (20 min)
• Configure event logging (25 min)
• Create security documentation (35 min)

Lessons Learned: Comprehensive audit policies are essential for security monitoring Issues Overcome: Firewall rules required fine-tuning for service accessibility

Overall Progress Summary

• Completed Tasks: 25 out of 25 total tasks
• Actual Progress: 100% (25/25 tasks completed)
• Time Spent: 12 hours out of 12 estimated
• Remaining Tasks: 0 tasks (estimated 0 hours)

Skills Demonstrated

• ✅ Windows Server administration
• ✅ Active Directory implementation
• ✅ Group Policy management
• ✅ DNS server configuration
• ✅ PowerShell automation
• ✅ Security hardening procedures

Key Accomplishments

1. Successfully deployed Windows Server 2019 domain controller
2. Implemented comprehensive user and group management system
3. Created robust Group Policy framework
4. Configured proper DNS infrastructure
5. Applied security hardening measures

Challenges Overcome

1. Network Configuration: Resolved adapter bridging issues for domain services
2. DNS Resolution: Configured proper forwarders for external name resolution
3. Service Accounts: Implemented proper delegation for service account permissions
4. Policy Inheritance: Resolved Group Policy precedence and inheritance issues
5. Security Balance: Balanced security hardening with functional requirements

Next Session Goals

Lab Complete - All objectives achieved successfully

Estimated completion: Completed