Tutorial: Learn the Basics of Active Directory

We hope you’ve been following our series of blog posts on Active Directory basics and best practices designed to help all kinds of IT pros, from beginners to experienced administrators.

Today, we’ve compiled those posts into a tutorial that’s a perfect way to learn Active Directory step by step. You can explore a wide range of Active Directory topics, including Active Directory services, domain controllers, forests, FSMO roles, DNS and trusts, Group Policy, replication, auditing, and much more. Plus, there’s a FAQ below that covers the most common questions that beginners ask about Active Directory.

Here are the blog posts in the order we suggest reading them. Of course, you should also feel free to jump to any post to find particular information you need.

1. Introduction to Active Directory Services Technologies
2. Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC)
3. Evolution of Windows Domain Controller
4. Best Practices: Deploy and Set Up Domain Controller
5. SYSVOL Directory
6. Forests in Active Directory
7. Best Practices: Active Directory Forests
8. Active Directory Domain
9. What Are the 5 FSMO Roles in Active Directory
10. Trusts in Active Directory
11. What are Group Policy and Group Policy Objects?
12. How to Force a Group Policy Update and Refresh It in the Background
13. Active Directory Database
14. Active Directory Replication
15. DNS in Active Directory
16. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
17. Securing Active Directory
18. Active Directory Auditing
19. Top Seven Challenges with Active Directory
20. How to Set and Manage Active Directory Password Policy
21. Best Active Directory Management Tools
22. Quick Guide: How to Sync Your Active Directory to Office 365
23. How to Create New Active Directory Users with PowerShell
24. Active Directory Management: Top 7 Common Mistakes

FAQ

What is Active Directory?

Microsoft Active Directory is a directory service that runs on Windows servers called domain controllers (DCs). It stores information about users, computers and other Active Directory objects, including properties like names and passwords, in a database.

What is Active Directory Domain Services?

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is one of the directory services provided by Active Directory. Its primary functions include providing authentication and authorization to help manage access to network resources.

Where can I get started learning about Active Directory?

There are a variety of free resources for beginners that can help you understand the fundamentals of Active Directory and how to use and manage features like Group Policy. Here are some of our favorites:

• Netwrix eBook: What is Active Directory?
• Microsoft course: Fundamentals of Active Directory
• Microsoft course: Active Directory Domain Services
• Pluralsight course: Active Directory Administration in Windows Server 2016
• ClassCentral course: Managing Microsoft Windows Server Active Directory Domain Services
• Comparitech tutorial: What is Active Directory? A step-by-step tutorial
• Dummies.com cheat sheet: Active Directory for Dummies Cheat Sheet

Is there a certification for Active Directory?

There are no notable certifications specific to Active Directory. However, Microsoft offers a variety of certifications, many of which will help improve your understanding of Active Directory.

What sources — blogs, forums, etc. — do you use to learn more about Active Directory? Please let us know in the comments to this post.

Jeff Melnick

Jeff is a former Director of Global Solutions Engineering at Netwrix. He is a long-time Netwrix blogger, speaker, and presenter. In the Netwrix blog, Jeff shares lifehacks, tips and tricks that can dramatically improve your system administration experience.