Windows Server 2012 Mastery: Practical Hands-on Training

A short overview video of the expectations for building your virtual lab environment using VirtualBox.

In this short video, you will learn how to easily download ISO and OVA files used in the course.

In this lab, you will learn to create a virtual install of Server 2012 r2 with a full GUI using VirtualBox.

In this lab, you will install create a Windows Server 2012 Core installation by demoting a full install with GUI first to a minimal install and then to Server Core. 

For this lab, students will first create a second full install of Server 2012 r2 with GUI. They will then proceed to demote the full install to a minimal install and finally to Server Core using PowerShell.

In this lab, you will create a virtual install of Windows 10 to be used as a client to test your server roles and features.

In this short video, you will learn how to take a snapshot of your current configuration that will allow you to roll your machine back to an earlier point in time. Before changing the current configuration of any virtual machine, you can take a snapshot of the current configuration to roll back the machine if something goes wrong.

From time to time, Virtualbox will not have a network available for some network types. In this video, we see how this can be easily fixed.

When configuring two or more devices to use the same network type, you may encounter an issue with VirtualBox issuing the same IP address to both devices This is an easy fix.

In this lab, you will learn the importance of choosing the right domain name, having a naming convention, and designing an IP addressing scheme.

In this short video and lab, you will learn how to prepare your DC1 for promotion to a domain controller.

In this lab, you will learn how to promote Server 2012 r2 to a domain controller using Server Manager.

In this lab, you will use your exiting install Server 2012 Core and using the sconfig utility, configure network settings and join the server to the domain. Though this utility is fairly intuitive, there are several considerations; this lab presents that you need to consider.

Adding a Windows 10 client is easy enough to do, but there are some limitations. For example, the Home version for any Windows client cannot be added to a Windows domain.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to prepare and promote Server Core to a Domain controller. The steps shown in this lab apply to Server 2012, 2016, and 2019.

In this lab, you will create a Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) and how to learn how they can best be utilized. RODC's have three distinct advantages over a normal domain controller, security, manageability, and availability.

•     Reduced security risk to a writable copy of Active Directory.

•     Better logon times compared to authenticating across a WAN link

•     Better access to the authentication resource on the network.

•     Better performance of directory-enabled applications.

In this short video, you will be given an overview of what to expect from this section of the course.

In this short video presentation, you learn how to create a secondary or backup DNS server.

In this lab, you will create a DNS reverse lookup zone to complement your DNS forward lookup zone created when you installed DNS while promoting Server 2012 to a domain controller.

This lab requires that Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) be installed. (section 2). Please do not attempt this lab until you have installed ADDS in Section 2 of the course.

In this lab, you will learn to create a DNS GlobalNames zone. The DNS Server service in Windows Server 2012 uses a special zone named GlobalNames to provide resolution of single-label names.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to create a new DNS host record.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to create a host record for an internal website.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to create a DNS MX record for a Microsoft Exchange server.

A short video overview of what to expect in this section.

DHCP was installed in Section 2 of the course during the promotion of Server 2012 to a domain controller. Configuring the machine with a static IP address was also done in Section 2 of the course.

In this lab, you will review the steps for manually installing and configure the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) on your virtual install of Server 2012 r2 for IPv4. DHCP is a client/server protocol that automatically provides an Internet Protocol (IP) host with its IP address and other related configuration information such as the subnet mask and default gateway to domain clients. 

In this lab, you will configure a DHCP scope with reservations and scope options. 

PowerShell commands are an easy way to save a lot of time as a system administrator. In this Lab,  you will learn how to configure DHCP using PowerShell. First, you'll need the following information, including your scope and router gateway IP.

This information represents the settings for the instructor's  DHCP server, not yours. Your information may differ.

DNSServerIP="192.168.145.10"
DHCPServerIP="192.168.145.10"
StartRange="192.168.145.150"
EndRange="192.168.145.200"
Subnet="255.255.255.0"
Router="192.168.145.1"

Following is the configuration break down:

1. Installing DHCP

2. Adding DHCP scope

3. Adding DNS server, and router gateway options

4. Setting lease duration for a scope

5. Restarting DHCP service

Step 1: Install DHCP Server Role

Install-WindowsFeature -Name 'DHCP' –IncludeManagementTools

Step 2: Add DHCP Scope

Add-DhcpServerV4Scope -Name "DHCP Scope" -StartRange 192.168.145.150 -EndRange 192.168.145.200 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0

Step 3: Add DNS Server, Router Gateway Options in DHCP

Set-DhcpServerV4OptionValue -DnsServer 192.168.145.10 -Router 192.168.145.1

Step 4: Set Up Lease Duration

Set-DhcpServerv4Scope -ScopeId 192.168.145.10 -LeaseDuration 8.00:00:00

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to authorize and unauthorize a DHCP Server in Windows Server.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to edit the router setting in DHCP for Windows Server.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to edit the scope options for your DNS server information.

In this lab, you will learn how to build a DHCP SuperScope. 

A superscope allows a DHCP server to provide leases from more than one scope to clients on a single physical network. Before you can create a superscope, you must use DHCP Manager to define all scopes to be included in the superscope. 

In this lab, you will learn to configure DHCP for high availability using DHCP failover. DHCP failover is configured between Server Core and DC1. DHCP failover in Windows Server 2012 is a method for ensuring continuous availability of DHCP service to clients in the event the primary DHCP server should fail.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to edit your IP address pool in DHCP.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to backup and restore your DHCP database.

In this lab, you will learn how to create different password policies inside a single domain. This means we can have complex passwords for our admins, not so complex passwords for our users and extremely complex passwords for our enterprise admins in the same domain.

In this lab, you will learn to redirect a user’s My Documents and Desktop folder to a file server for backup and high availability.  

In this lab, you will learn how to create a mapped drive using Group Policy and then assigning the mapped drive to a specific container inside of our Active Directory

A very common task in any domain environment is to deploy desktop shortcuts (icons) to either all your user’s computers or to a certain group of user’s computers depending on what group(s) the user is a member of. Another common task is setting the wallpaper on all the machines in the domain and restrict users from changing it. Both can be done using Group Policy. 

In this video, you will learn how to prevent Server 2016 from logging you off after so many minutes of inactivity.

Use the following bread crumbs to find the setting using the GP template for Domain Controllers.

Computer Configuration -> Policies -> Windows Settings -> Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options -> Interactive logon: Machine inactivity limit

For a standalone server, use the local security policy with the above bread crumbs.

In this short video, you will learn how to edit a GPO that will affect a user.

In this short video, you will learn how to edit a GPO that will affect a computer.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to backup and restore Group Policy objects in Active Directory.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to change screensaver and timeouts in Group Policy.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to force users to use a specific image for their desktop background using Group Policy.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to easily shrink or extend an existing volume in Windows Server 2012. Though the video mentions Server 2019, the steps shown in the video apply to Server 2012, Server 2016, and Server 2019.

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to format a volume in Windows Server 2012 using the Resilient File System (ReFS).

In this short video presentation, you will learn how to format a volume in Windows Server 2012 using FAT32.

A quick overview of TCP/IP printing in Windows server 2012 r2.

In this lab, you will learn how to install the Print Service Role in Windows 2012. 

In this lab, you will learn how to map a network printer to a Windows client

In this lab, you will learn to install a printer on the network using TCP/IP.

Adding printers to the same print queue to create a pool of printers or as it is more commonly referred to as, printer pooling. 

In this lab, you will create an MMC snap-in. The Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is an application that provides a graphical user interface (GUI) and a programming framework in which consoles (collections of administrative tools) can be created, saved, and opened.

In this lab, you will install objects into your Active Directory database. Objects include users, computers servers, and printers.

In this lab, you will learn to perform a full backup of server 2012 R2.

In this video, you will learn how to rearm the 180 trial period for Server 2012. This hack also works for Windows 7. Hooray! No more reinstalling our lab because the trial period has expired. This hack is could for 5 resets or 2.5 years of full access. 

In this short video presentation, you will quickly learn how to hack the Windows registry to extend the 30-day evaluation for Windows 7, 8.1 or Windows 10. This will allow you to rearm your Windows 10 for a total of 8 times or 240 days. You have 3 initial rearm attempts totally 90 days.  90+240 = 360 days.

In this lab, you will learn how to disable the annoying Enhanced Security Configuration for Internet Explorer. This malware like feature may be useful for some servers, however, if you want to use IE for normal web browsing, it is desired to turn this security feature off.

In this lab, you will learn how to perform offline defragmentation of the Active Directory Database using the ntdsutil. 

In this video, you will learn how to create and map a persistent network drive in Server 2012 r2. 

How many times have you walked up to a system in your office and needed to click through several diagnostic windows to remind yourself of important aspects of its configuration, such as its name, IP address, or operating system version? If you manage multiple computers, you probably need BGInfo. It automatically displays relevant information about a Windows computer on the desktop's background, such as the computer name, IP address, service pack version, and more.