Domain Controller Configuration

Pretty much every organization I've worked with has leveraged an Active Directory Domain in some at least some capacity. Active Directory (AD) is a centralized database for managing users and computers in a company's network. Both of these can be added to groups and used to assign permissions, centrally control identities which can be tied into authentication using various components, set minimum password requirements, and leverage Group Policy which allows you to manage thousands of settings to ensure a consistent experience without manually configuring them.

A domain needs to have at least one Domain Controller (DC) which runs the Active Directory Domain Services role. Ideally two or more will exist for redundancy and load balancing. At the most basic level, getting a domain set up involves installing the role through PowerShell or the Add Roles and Features wizard. Once completed, the server needs to be promoted to a domain controller which can also be done through a wizard where you can either create a new domain and forest, set the functional level, and get things up and running. The local Administrator account gets converted to your first Domain Administrator account and once the server reboots at the end of the process, you have a functioning domain. DNS will need to be configured for clients to find the domain controller and allow other servers and workstations to be joined to the domain.