Active Directory: Domain Controllers, Operations Masters, GC

Understand how domain controllers authenticate users and computers, the global catalog, DNS and service records, and how read-only domain controllers and operations masters shape deployment.

Domain controllers store the Active Directory Services database and NTDS.dit, plus the SYSVOL folder, using multi-master replication to synchronize changes and support Kerberos authentication, the KDC, and ROTC.

Host and manage the Active Directory database (NTDS.dit) and authentication on domain controllers, using Kerberos and KDC, while supporting multi-master replication and SYSVOL-based Group Policy.

The global catalog is a partial, read-only, searchable copy of forest objects enabling cross-domain searches, storing a subset of attributes including given name and mail for universal group membership checks.

Explore how the global catalog offers a partial, read-only copy of forest objects for cross-domain queries. Learn its partial attribute set approach for speed and how the schema controls replication.

Clients query DNS SRV records, like _ldap._tcp.adatum.com, to locate the nearest domain controller. Netlogon registers domain controller records in DNS at startup and re-registers them on restart.

Explore how srv records guide Active Directory domain services to locate domain controllers, optimize sign-in through site-aware dns lookups, and manage dns registration with Netlogon.

Examine the ad ds sign-in process: dns lookups locate a domain controller, authentication via lsa, and access tokens with sids and group memberships, plus tgt and service tickets for logon.

Explore the AD DS sign-in process, including DNS lookup to locate a domain controller, LSA access tokens, TGTs, service tickets, and SIDs.

Explore the five operations master roles in Active Directory—schema, domain naming, read, infrastructure, and PDC emulator—and how their location affects replication and logins.

Test your understanding of FSMO operation master roles in Active Directory, including RID, infrastructure, schema, domain naming, and PDC emulator, plus time, forest, and inter-domain references.

Transfer FSMO roles between domain controllers in Active Directory to balance workloads, letting the target receive current data; seize roles only during failures when the original domain controller is unavailable.

Explore transferring and seizing FISMO roles in Active Directory, compare planned and unplanned moves, and apply the Active Directory Schema Snap-in, Active Directory Users and Computers, and PowerShell.

Explore deploying domain controllers in Windows Server 2016/19, including cloning in virtual environments, Azure considerations with VM generation ID and rollback, and installation options from GUI or media.

Install ADDS with Server Manager, then promote a domain controller via the ADDS configuration wizard to add a domain, forest, or tree, selecting functional levels, DNS, and global catalog options.

Install the first domain controller for a new forest using Server Manager, Active Directory Domain Services, and optional PowerShell scripting. Configure forest and domain levels, and enable Global Catalog.

Install a domain controller on a server core installation by using remote server manager or Windows PowerShell to install the AD DS feature and run Install-ADDSDomainController.

Deploy a domain controller from media to minimize WAN use, by creating an AD DS snapshot with ntdsutil on a full DC and promoting from media at the remote site.

Clone domain controllers to rapidly deploy virtual machines with identical configurations using Hyper-V for provisioning in private clouds, customizing computer names and IP addresses for immediate operation and disaster recovery.

Demonstrates how to prepare a source domain controller for cloning, export via Hyper-V, and create a clone using Active Directory Administrative Center, PowerShell, and Hyper-V manager.

Demonstrates adding a new domain controller via GUI, installing AD DS and DNS, promoting it to an existing domain, and configuring replication and database locations.

Explore core PowerShell concepts, including pipelines, aliases, and navigation, using Get-ChildItem, Set-Location, and Get-Command. Master variables and tab completion to accelerate script building.

Install active directory domain services using install-windows-feature with management tools, then promote the server to a domain controller using the ADDS deployment module and create forest and domain, testing prerequisites.

Demonstrates the five flexible single master operations roles and their forest-wide or domain-wide scope, and how to transfer or seize them with Move-ADDirectoryServerOperationMasterRole.