Personal lab
Active Directory IT Support Homelab
Hands-on Windows Server 2022 and Active Directory lab focused on domain administration, users and security groups, Group Policy, NTFS permissions, file sharing, and Windows 11 domain integration.
View on GitHub ↗Problem / Objective
Build a functional Active Directory environment to practice core domain administration tasks: create and manage users, organize security groups, apply Group Policy for system configuration, configure NTFS permissions and file shares, and integrate a Windows 11 client into the domain.
Environment
- Windows Server 2022 virtual machine as the domain controller
- Windows 11 virtual machine joined to the domain
- Virtual network isolated for the lab
What I did
- Deployed Windows Server 2022 and promoted it to a domain controller
- Created organizational units, user accounts, and security groups in Active Directory
- Applied Group Policy to enforce system configurations and security settings
- Configured NTFS permissions on shared folders to demonstrate access control
- Set up file shares and tested access from the Windows 11 domain-joined client
- Verified domain user logon and Group Policy application on the client
Tools used
Windows Server 2022Active DirectoryGroup PolicyDNSNTFS PermissionsWindows 11
Key findings
Hands-on experience with domain administration workflows, Group Policy enforcement, and the relationship between server-side Active Directory policies and client-side user access control.
What I learned
- How to design an organizational unit hierarchy for different departments or user types
- How security groups simplify access control across multiple shared resources
- How Group Policy enforces consistent configurations across domain-joined computers
- The practical impact of NTFS permissions and how they interact with Active Directory access control
- Why proper domain setup is essential for IT support and user management at scale