Active Directory Course
Master Active Directory from the ground up — from deploying domain controllers and managing users to hardening your environment against modern attacks. This course covers everything IT administrators need to design, secure, and maintain AD in real enterprise environments. Whether you're managing a single domain or a complex hybrid infrastructure, you'll build the hands-on skills employers demand.
What you will learn:
You'll learn how to install and configure Active Directory Domain Services, manage users, groups, and computers, and automate administrative tasks with PowerShell. The course covers Group Policy design, AD replication, DNS integration, and site topology for distributed networks. You'll apply security hardening techniques to defend against attacks like Kerberoasting, pass-the-hash, and DCSync. Backup strategies, disaster recovery procedures, and FSMO role management are covered in depth. You'll also explore hybrid identity with Azure AD Connect, AD Federation Services, and Microsoft Entra ID essentials.
How you study in practice Active Directory Course
How you practice Active Directory Course
For companies that want to train their team
With Dedika for Business, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your own business and the way your company needs.
Course content
8 Chapters • 40 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsIntroduction to Active Directory Fundamentals
Introduction to Active Directory Fundamentals
Lesson 1 • AD Schema and Data Store
Describes the AD schema as the blueprint for all objects and the NTDS.dit database as the data store. Prepares students for object management in later chapters.
Lesson 2 • Authentication Protocols in AD
Introduces Kerberos and NTLM as the primary authentication mechanisms in AD environments. Provides the security foundation needed for advanced topics.
Lesson 3 • Directory Services and AD Overview
Covers the purpose of directory services and how AD fits into Windows-based networks. Establishes context for all subsequent AD administration topics.
Lesson 4 • Core AD Logical Components
Explains domains, trees, forests, and organizational units as the logical building blocks of AD. Students map these structures to real enterprise scenarios.
Lesson 5 • AD Physical Infrastructure
Introduces domain controllers, global catalog servers, and replication topology. Connects physical infrastructure to logical AD design decisions.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsInstalling and Configuring AD Domain Services
Installing and Configuring AD Domain Services
Lesson 1 • Promoting a Server to Domain Controller
Covers the dcpromo process and the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard. Students promote servers into new and existing domains.
Lesson 2 • Post-Installation Verification
Teaches validation steps using built-in tools to confirm a healthy AD deployment. Connects to troubleshooting skills developed in later chapters.
Lesson 3 • Planning an AD DS Deployment
Covers hardware, OS, and network prerequisites before installation begins. Proper planning prevents common post-deployment issues addressed later in the course.
Lesson 4 • Configuring Additional Domain Controllers
Explains adding redundant DCs for high availability and load distribution. Students configure replication and verify multi-DC environments.
Lesson 5 • Installing the AD DS Role
Walks through adding the AD DS role via Server Manager and PowerShell. Students practice both GUI and command-line installation methods.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsManaging Users, Groups, and Computers
Managing Users, Groups, and Computers
Lesson 1 • Group Types and Scopes
Explains security vs. distribution groups and the AGDLP/AGUDLP nesting strategy. Students apply correct group scopes to control resource access efficiently.
Lesson 2 • Managing Computer Accounts
Covers joining machines to the domain, managing computer objects, and resetting accounts. Prepares students for Group Policy application to computer objects.
Lesson 3 • Bulk Operations with PowerShell
Introduces the Active Directory PowerShell module for bulk user and group management. Students write scripts to automate repetitive administrative tasks.
Lesson 4 • Delegation of Control
Teaches granting granular administrative permissions over OUs without full domain admin rights. Reinforces the principle of least privilege in AD management.
Lesson 5 • Creating and Managing User Accounts
Covers user account creation, attribute configuration, and lifecycle management. Builds the object management skills required for group and policy administration.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsGroup Policy Design and Administration
Group Policy Design and Administration
Lesson 1 • Creating and Linking GPOs
Covers creating GPOs in the Group Policy Management Console and linking them to sites, domains, and OUs. Students practice scoping policies to the correct targets.
Lesson 2 • Configuring Security and Desktop Settings
Teaches configuring password policies, account lockout, software restriction, and desktop settings via GPO. Directly applies to hardening covered in the security chapter.
Lesson 3 • Troubleshooting Group Policy
Covers gpresult, RSOP, and event log analysis to diagnose GPO application failures. Builds diagnostic skills applicable to all AD troubleshooting scenarios.
Lesson 4 • Group Policy Architecture
Explains GPO structure, SYSVOL storage, and the client-side extension processing model. Provides the conceptual foundation for all GPO design decisions.
Lesson 5 • GPO Filtering and Targeting
Explains security filtering, WMI filters, and item-level targeting to apply GPOs selectively. Students reduce policy conflicts through precise targeting techniques.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsAD Sites, Replication, and DNS Integration
AD Sites, Replication, and DNS Integration
Lesson 1 • DNS Integration with Active Directory
Covers AD-integrated DNS zones, dynamic updates, and SRV record registration. Proper DNS configuration is prerequisite to reliable DC location and authentication.
Lesson 2 • Troubleshooting Replication Failures
Teaches diagnosing replication errors using repadmin, dcdiag, and event logs. Students resolve USN rollback, lingering objects, and connectivity-related failures.
Lesson 3 • Designing AD Sites and Subnets
Covers creating sites, associating subnets, and aligning site design with physical network topology. Correct site design reduces unnecessary replication and authentication traffic.
Lesson 4 • Configuring Site Links and Replication
Explains site link objects, replication schedules, and the KCC's role in generating replication topology. Students tune replication to balance currency and bandwidth.
Lesson 5 • Intrasite vs. Intersite Replication
Distinguishes automatic intrasite replication from scheduled intersite replication and their protocols. Students select appropriate replication protocols for each network segment.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsActive Directory Security and Hardening
Active Directory Security and Hardening
Lesson 1 • Securing AD Administrative Accounts
Covers securing built-in accounts, using Managed Service Accounts, and enforcing just-in-time access. Directly mitigates the privileged account abuse threats identified earlier.
Lesson 2 • Privileged Access and Tiered Administration
Covers the tiered administration model and Privileged Access Workstations to isolate high-value credentials. Reduces blast radius of compromised accounts.
Lesson 3 • Auditing and Monitoring AD Events
Configures advanced audit policies to log authentication, object access, and privilege use events. Provides the visibility needed to detect and respond to AD-based attacks.
Lesson 4 • AD Attack Surface and Threat Landscape
Identifies common AD attack vectors including pass-the-hash, Kerberoasting, and DCSync. Understanding threats drives the hardening decisions covered throughout this chapter.
Lesson 5 • Fine-Grained Password Policies
Teaches creating Password Settings Objects to apply different password policies to specific groups. Extends the domain-level password policy concepts from the GPO chapter.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsAD Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance
AD Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance
Lesson 1 • Domain Controller Recovery
Covers nonauthoritative and authoritative DC restores from system state backups. Students practice full DC recovery in lab scenarios simulating real outages.
Lesson 2 • AD Backup Strategies
Covers Windows Server Backup, system state backups, and backup frequency planning for AD. A solid backup strategy is the prerequisite for all recovery procedures.
Lesson 3 • FSMO Role Management
Explains the five FSMO roles, their impact on AD operations, and procedures for transferring or seizing them. Prepares students for planned maintenance and emergency recovery.
Lesson 4 • Restoring Deleted Objects
Teaches using the AD Recycle Bin and authoritative restore to recover accidentally deleted objects. Students practice both methods and understand when each applies.
Lesson 5 • Routine AD Health Maintenance
Covers scheduled tasks including tombstone cleanup, database defragmentation, and health checks. Regular maintenance prevents the failures addressed in recovery sections.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsAdvanced AD Features and Hybrid Identity
Advanced AD Features and Hybrid Identity
Lesson 1 • AD Trusts and Cross-Forest Access
Covers trust types, directions, and transitivity to enable resource sharing across domains and forests. Builds on domain and forest concepts established in Chapter 1.
Lesson 2 • Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
Explains AD LDS as a standalone LDAP directory for application-specific identity stores. Students deploy AD LDS instances without requiring a full domain infrastructure.
Lesson 3 • AD Certificate Services Integration
Covers deploying an enterprise CA integrated with AD for certificate auto-enrollment and smart card authentication. Completes the advanced security posture built throughout the course.
Lesson 4 • Azure AD Connect and Hybrid Identity
Covers installing and configuring Azure AD Connect to synchronize on-premises identities to the cloud. Students choose the correct sync method for their organization's requirements.
Lesson 5 • Active Directory Federation Services
Introduces AD FS for claims-based authentication and single sign-on to web applications. Provides the federation foundation required for hybrid identity integration.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Helpdesk technician: ready to move into a sysadmin role managing Windows infrastructure.
Junior IT administrator: handling AD tasks daily but lacking structured foundational knowledge.
Network administrator: expanding responsibilities to include identity and access management.
Career changer: transitioning into IT from another field with basic Windows familiarity.
Security analyst: needing deeper AD knowledge to investigate identity-based threats effectively.
IT student: building job-ready skills before entering an enterprise support or admin role.
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